toughened

4.1

Treated to make it stronger and harder to break

adjective
/ˈtʌfənd/

Specialized

: endurecido

The toughened glass is designed to withstand high impact without breaking.

I want more to look your pain in the eyes and say I want more because I'm going to be I'm going to be toughened up.

Examples

Her toughened exterior hides the sensitive person inside who feels deeply.
Now, I'm not a toughened, hardy type like Bristol, but even down here in the lower 48 where I live, March generally means really cold or even snowy.

Blog text (14)
We have bodies, Time toughened, skin stretched tall, a delicate but strong internal structure.
After years of training, he has toughened his mind to handle stressful situations.

Synonyms

tough

vstoughened

250 1.7

Strong and able to resist damage or rough use

is created by a deliberate treatment or process, not only natural toughness

reinforced

vstoughened

1 3.7

Made stronger by adding extra parts or support

is made stronger by a treatment or process rather than by added support

tempered

vstoughened

Specialized

1 4.9

Made harder and more flexible by heat or chemicals

is strengthened by a general treatment or process, not only heat methods

strengthened

vstoughened

3.0

Has extra support to make it stronger

is made stronger by a treatment or process rather than just support

hardened

vstoughened

4.1

Made solid by heating, drying, or other treatment

is made more durable by a treatment, focusing on overall strength not only hardness

case-hardened

vstoughened

Specialized

7.3

With a hard outer surface and a softer inner core to make it stronger

is made tougher by a process applied to whole material, not only surface

cured

vstoughened

Specialized

5.8

Treated so a material becomes harder and lasts longer

is strengthened by a specific treatment intended to increase durability

prestressed

vstoughened

Specialized

6.5

Engineers make materials like concrete beams stronger by putting force inside before use

is made stronger by general treatment rather than by built-in internal stress

Antonyms

softened

3.3

Made less strong, harsh, or loud

weakened

2.7

Not as strong or effective

How Durable

armored

276 4.4

reinforced

1 3.7

hardened

4.1

toughened

Specialized

4.1

sturdy

76 2.1

fragile

83 3.4

Surface Forms

toughened positive

Morphology

toughened = toughen (transparent) = tough + en + ed

The verb 'toughen' is a straightforward derivation from the adjective 'tough' with the productive suffix '-en', and '-ed' marks the past participle/adjectival form.

Etymology

The word toughened comes from the simple word tough meaning 'strong' and the ending -en meaning 'make' or 'become', so it means 'made stronger'. Think of glass or metal being treated to become harder and more safe, which is exactly what 'toughened' describes.