Meanings
verbharden up (third-person singular simple present hardens up, present participle hardening up, simple past and past participle hardened up)
present singular third person hardens up · participle present hardening up · participle past hardened up · past hardened up
- UKnauticalTo tighten up a sailboat's sheets in order to prevent luffing.
- informaltransitiveTo become or make (something, someone) hard, either literally or figuratively.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Cite this entry
APA
harden up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/harden%20up
MLA
“harden up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/harden%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “harden up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/harden%20up.
Source: harden up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.