To inure (pronounced “in-YOOR”) means to become accustomed to something difficult or unpleasant through repeated exposure. When you inure yourself to cold weather by practicing outside every day in winter, you're training your body and mind to handle the discomfort better. The cold doesn't go away, but you become tougher and less bothered by it.

The word often describes getting used to hardship. A surgeon becomes inured to the sight of blood through years of medical training. A student living near train tracks becomes inured to the noise and eventually sleeps right through it. Soldiers in difficult conditions become inured to discomfort and danger.

Notice that inuring yourself to something isn't the same as enjoying it. A hockey player who practices in freezing temperatures doesn't start loving the cold; they just stop letting it slow them down. Their body and mind adapt until what once seemed unbearable becomes manageable.

The process takes time and repetition. You can't inure yourself to something overnight. But once you're inured to a challenge, you've gained a kind of mental and physical toughness that makes you more capable and resilient.