To make something harder, stronger, or less easy to break or damage — or for it to become that way by itself. It works on physical things (toughened glass in a car window, leather that toughens with use) and, just as often, on people and rules.

To make something harder, stronger, or less easy to break or damage讓某個東西變得更硬、更強、更不容易壞掉或損壞 — or for it to become that way by itself或是讓它自己變成那樣。It works on physical things它可以用在實體的東西上 (toughened glass in a car window像車窗上的強化玻璃, leather that toughens with use越用越硬的皮革) and, just as often, on people and rules也一樣常用在人和規定上。

With people it means making someone able to bear hard things without being hurt: years of night shifts toughened her. With rules and laws it means making them stricter and harder to escape: the government wants to toughen the penalties for drunk driving.

With people用在人身上 it means making someone able to bear hard things without being hurt意思是讓某人能承受苦難而不受傷: years of night shifts toughened her多年的夜班磨練讓她變得更堅強。With rules and laws用在規定和法律上 it means making them stricter and harder to escape意思是讓它們變得更嚴格、更難逃避: the government wants to toughen the penalties for drunk driving政府想要加重酒駕的處罰。

You will very often meet it with up — toughen up — which is mostly about a person's character, and is the phrase someone uses when telling you to stop complaining and be stronger. Careful there: "You need to toughen up" can be encouraging from a coach and quite unkind from a colleague, depending entirely on who says it.

You will very often meet it with up你很常會看到它加上up — toughen up就是toughen up — which is mostly about a person's character這通常是在講一個人的個性, and is the phrase someone uses when telling you to stop complaining and be stronger是有人叫你別再抱怨、要更堅強時會用的說法。Careful there小心一點: "You need to toughen up"「你該堅強一點」 can be encouraging from a coach從教練口中可能是鼓勵 and quite unkind from a colleague從同事口中卻可能相當不客氣, depending entirely on who says it完全要看是誰說的。

It is an everyday word, comfortable in the newspaper and in conversation alike.

It is an everyday word這是個日常用字, comfortable in the newspaper and in conversation alike在報紙和對話裡都很自然。