verb
toughen
TUH-fuhn
verb
1
To make something stronger or more resistant to damage.
"The coating is designed to toughen the glass against impacts."
2
To become tougher or more resilient.
"His skin toughened after years of working outdoors."
"Regulators plan to toughen safety standards next year."
How to Use Toughen
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make something (or someone) stronger, harder, or more resistant.
Common pairings
toughen up
toughen standards
toughen rules
Word Forms
toughened past tense, toughens singular
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The coating is designed to _____ the glass against impacts.
Etymology
Formed from tough plus the suffix -en, which turns adjectives into verbs meaning "to make (more) so."