If you describe someone as hardened, you mean that they have had so much experience of something bad or unpleasant that they are no longer affected by it in the way that other people would be.
...hardened criminals.
...hardened politicians.
More Synonyms of hardened
hardened in British English
(ˈhɑːdənd)
adjective
1.
rigidly set, as in a mode of behaviour
2.
toughened, as by custom; seasoned
3.
(of a nuclear missile site) constructed to withstand a nuclear attack
hardened in American English
(ˈhɑrdənd)
adjective
1.
made or become hard or harder (in various senses)
2.
confirmed or inveterate, esp. in wrong or immoral behavior; habitual
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈchronic
Examples of 'hardened' in a sentence
hardened
Under his watch a young team can take shape, shedding one of the hardened pros from the past.
The Sun (2016)
Under his watch a young team can take shape, shedding one of the hardened pros fromthe past.
The Sun (2016)
Turning the young offenders of today into the hardened criminals of tomorrow is not the answer.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Prison is the only sure way to protect the public from hardened criminals.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The players enjoy playing and if anything they have become hardened to the amount of games we play.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They are only preparing them for the preferential treatment awaiting them when they become hardened criminals in modern jails.
The Sun (2007)
This was a match for hardened, experienced pros.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They have the air of hardened road veterans and that's at the heart of their appeal.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Light, youthful indie pop with enough cheeky charm to win over the most hardened cynic.
The Sun (2015)
It's enough to make the most hardened cynic join the hippies absorbing the cosmic vibes.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
If left alone, my blind spots become hardened personality traits.
Christianity Today (2000)
They were hardened criminals, but were not in prison.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
That leaves about 20 per cent of the prison population who are hardened career criminals.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Motorists are asked to be on the lookout for 16 hardened criminals.
The Sun (2016)
An ex-soldier comes to the rescue when hardened criminals storm the ground on match day.
The Sun (2016)
A hardened criminal and his young accomplice escape from prison and board a freight train.
The Sun (2009)
After a few horrid years, investors seem to have become hardened to all but the most harrowing news.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
According to the police, most crimes in this country are committed by a small number of hardened criminals.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The defendant is obviously a complete and hardened criminal, so any speech to him is a waste of time.
Richard Bath Notorious: The Maddest and Baddest Sportsmen on the Planet (2006)
They are hardened cruise veterans.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
One gang member said: 'He was not a hardened fighter.
The Sun (2011)
And, without a couple of hardened pros to help, do youngsters prevail?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
I've become hardened to it, a bit like a politician.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But I'd become hardened to all that.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All related terms of 'hardened'
harden
When something hardens or when you harden it, it becomes stiff or firm .
battle hardened
toughened by the experience of battle
harden up
to tighten the sheets of a sailing vessel so as to prevent luffing
case-harden
to form a hard surface layer of high carbon content on (a steel component) by heating in a carburizing environment with subsequent quenching or heat treatment
face-harden
to harden the surface of ( steel or iron ) by the addition of carbon at high temperature
harden off
to accustom (a cultivated plant) or (of such a plant) to become accustomed to outdoor conditions by repeated exposure
work-harden
to increase the strength or hardness of (a metal) by a mechanical process, such as tension , compression , or torsion
self-hardening
designating or of any steel that will harden if air-cooled after being heated above red heat
1 (adjective)
hardened criminals
Synonyms
habitual
Three out of four of them would become habitual criminals.
set
They have very set ideas about how to get the message across.
fixed
chronic
He has always been a chronic smoker.
shameless
a shameless hustler and dealer in stolen goods
inveterate
an inveterate liar
incorrigible
Gamblers are incorrigible optimists.
reprobate
the most evil-looking gang of reprobate bikers
irredeemable
badass (slang, mainly US)
Opposites
rare
,
occasional
,
irregular
,
infrequent
,
unaccustomed
2 (adjective)
Definition
toughened by experience
hardened politicians
Synonyms
seasoned
The author is a seasoned academic.
experienced
a team made up of experienced professionals
accustomed
I was accustomed to being the only child amongst adults.
toughened
inured
Doctors become inured to death.
habituated
Opposites
green
,
naive
Additional synonyms
in the sense of accustomed
I was accustomed to being the only child amongst adults.
Synonyms
used,
trained,
familiar,
disciplined,
given to,
adapted,
acquainted,
in the habit of,
familiarized,
seasoned,
inured,
habituated,
exercised,
acclimatized
in the sense of chronic
Definition
(of a bad habit or bad behaviour) having continued for a long time
He has always been a chronic smoker.
Synonyms
habitual,
confirmed,
ingrained,
incessant,
inveterate,
incorrigible
in the sense of experienced
Definition
skilful or knowledgeable as a result of having done something many times before