hardening
nounUK /ˈhɑː.dən.ɪŋ/
US /ˈhɑːr.dən.ɪŋ/
The act of making something hard or harder.
The hardening of the clay took several hours in the sun.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The process of becoming more fixed, severe, or less easily changed.
There was a hardening of attitudes toward the new rules.
3. In economics, a rise in prices or a strengthening of a market.
The hardening of oil prices worried many consumers.
4. In medicine, a condition in which tissue becomes firm or thick.
The doctor noted hardening of the arteries.