French Conversation · Level 107
58 words
French word
durcir
Pronunciation
IPA/dyʁsiʁ/
Meaning
- verbharden
Example
La situation se durcit.
The situation is growing harsher.
More examples
Le ministre a durci le ton lors de la conférence.
The minister used a more forceful tone during the conference.
Core concept
Something yielding becoming firm, making compromise or movement more difficult.
Common phrases
durcir le ton
use a more forceful tone
durcir sa position
take a firmer stance
Similar words
s'endurcir: To become hardened in attitude or emotion, showing neither weakness nor willingness to yield.
se braquer: To become defensive, close off emotionally, and resist the other person.
se fermer: To stop expressing feelings openly and avoid contact with others.
se renfermer: To withdraw from others, turn inward, and keep everything bottled up.
Definition in French
Devenir plus rigide ou sévère; s'emploie souvent pronominalement (se durcir) pour dire qu'une personne ou une position devient inflexible.
Word origin
Durcir combines the adjective dur, from Latin durus, with a French verb-forming ending; the physical idea of hardening also applies figuratively to increasingly severe or inflexible conduct.
Usage tips
- In La situation se durcit, the pronominal form presents the situation as becoming more severe, whereas durcir la situation means to make it more severe.