endureció

Endureció is a Spanish verb form: the third-person singular pretérito indefinido (preterite) of endurecer, meaning to harden, to stiffen, or to make something firmer. It can describe a physical change in an object, as well as a figurative change in rules, attitudes, or penalties. When the change is experienced by the subject itself, the reflexive form endurecerse is used, whose pretérito is se endureció (he/she/it hardened himself/herself).

Etymology: endurecer comes from Latin indurēre, from durus “hard.” The sense built from making something harder or more rigid, which extended to figurative uses such as policies or attitudes becoming stricter.

Usage: In physical contexts, endureció can describe materials that become less flexible. In social or legal contexts, it can indicate that measures, sanctions, or norms have become harsher. In personal terms, se endureció conveys a hardening of character, heart, or stance over time.

Examples:

- El metal endureció tras el calentamiento. (The metal hardened after heating.)

- El régimen endureció sus sanciones. (The regime made its sanctions harsher.)

- Con los años, su corazón se endureció.

Notes: Endurecí and other forms are used for different subjects and tenses, while endurecerse uses se to express a change in the subject itself. The word is common in technical, legal, and literary Spanish when describing a transition to greater rigidity or severity.