Coarsen

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɔː(ɹ)sən/

Definitions

1. To cause a surface or texture to become rougher or less refined
2. To change in a way that reduces smoothness or fineness of texture
3. To alter something so that it feels or appears less soft or polished

Etymology: "Coarsen" is about as plain as English word-building gets: the adjective "coarse" with the verbal suffix "-en" attached, meaning "to make coarse." The suffix has a long pedigree, traceable back through Old English "-nian" and Proto-Germanic "*-inōną" to much older Germanic forms, and it is the same ending found in verbs like "widen," "soften," and "sharpen." The adjective "coarse" itself began as something more ordinary than its modern sense suggests. It was originally used for things that were common, plain, or of ordinary quality, and the notion of roughness or vulgarity came later as a set of extensions from that base. Because "coarsen" attaches the suffix to this adjective, the verb carries the same range of meaning, from the literal sense of making a surface rough to the figurative sense of making manners or tastes less refined.

Synonyms: roughen, grate, abrade, scrape, harshen

Antonyms: smooth, soften, polish, tenderize, refine