What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Harden vs Compress - What's the difference?

harden | compress | Related terms |

In intransitive terms the difference between harden and compress

is that harden is to become hard (tough, resistant to pressure) while compress is to be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format.

As a noun compress is

(folded_cloth) A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.

harden

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To become hard (tough, resistant to pressure).
  • (ergative) To make something hard or harder (tough, resistant to pressure).
  • (dated) To become or make a person or thing resistant or less sensitive.
    • When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. — KJV, Exodus 4:21

    Derived terms

    * harden someone's heart

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs ----

    compress

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) compresser, from compressare 'to press hard/together', from compressus, the past participle of comprimere 'to compress', itself from com- 'together' + premere 'to press'

    Verb

  • To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume.
    • The force required to compress a spring varies linearly with the displacement.
  • * D. Webster
    • events of centuries compressed within the compass of a single life
  • * Melmoth
    • The same strength of expression, though more compressed , runs through his historical harangues.
  • To be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format.
    • ''Our new model compresses easily, ideal for storage and travel
  • To condense into a more economic, easier format.
    • This chart compresses the entire audit report into a few lines on a single diagram.
  • To abridge.
    • If you try to compress the entire book into a three-sentence summary, you will lose a lot of information.
  • (technology) To make digital information smaller by encoding it using fewer bits.
  • (obsolete) To embrace sexually.
    • (Alexander Pope)
    Synonyms
    * (press together ): compact, condense, pack, press, squash, squeeze * (be pressed together ): contract * (condense, abridge ): abridge, condense, shorten, truncate
    Antonyms
    * (press together ): expand * (be pressed together ): decontract * (condense, abridge ): expand, lengthen * (make computing data smaller ): uncompress
    Derived terms
    * compressed * compressed air * compressedly * compressibility * compressible * compression * compressive * compressive strength * compressor * decompress
    Related terms
    * compression

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) compresse, from compresser 'to compress', from Late (etyl) compressare 'to press hard/together', from compressus, the past participle of comprimere 'to compress', itself from com- 'together' + premere 'to press'

    Noun

    (es)
  • A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.
    • He held a cold compress over the sprain.
  • A machine for compressing
    • Related terms
    * compression