tempered

adjective

tem·pered | \ˈtem-pərd

Definition of tempered

1 : treated by tempering especially, of glass : treated so as to impart increased strength and the property of shattering into pellets when broken

2 : having a specified temper —used in combination short-tempered

3a : having the elements mixed in satisfying proportions : temperate

b : qualified, lessened, or diluted by the mixture or influence of an additional ingredient : moderated a pale gleam of tempered sunlight fell through the leaves— W. H. Hudson †1922

4 : conforming to adjustment by temperament —used of a musical interval, intonation, semitone, or scale

Examples of tempered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In May, Phillies director of player personnel Joe Jordan gave a tempered endorsement of Meneses’ MLB upside, contingent on his maintaining his lofty triple-A average over a larger sample size. — Ben Pope, Philly.com, "Phillies prospect Joey Meneses looks MLB-ready, whether here or elsewhere," 9 July 2018 But Pashinyan's bid to lead the country was thwarted by the Republican party in parliament, which holds a majority in parliament and, after hours of bad-tempered debate, refused to back him. — Sheena Mckenzie, CNN, "Armenia in political turmoil after protest leader's bid for power is blocked," 2 May 2018 Eberly tells of a Scottish case, in Caerlaverock, where the ceaselessly yelling and ill-tempered baby was thrown onto hot coals. — Longreads, "Fairy Scapegoats: A History of the Persecution of Changeling Children," 9 June 2018 The tweetstorm is the latest fallout from a bad-tempered G7 summit in Quebec, Canada, in which the President found himself at odds with many of the leaders present, largely over his planned tariffs on a range of goods, including steel and aluminum. — Euan Mckirdy, CNN, "'Fool Trade': Trump continues to rip G7 in tweetstorm," 11 June 2018 The space for such a figure became evident in the final years of the last century, when morosité became the country’s hallmark and bad-tempered populism surged on both left and right. — The Economist, "Emmanuel Macron, the resolutely modern philosopher king," 13 June 2018 Fultz had a different explanation for his tempered concern. — Kimberly Dark, Curbed, "Living on the edge," 6 June 2018 But even presidents with a reputation for being strongly pro-Israel, such as George W. Bush, took a more tempered approach than Trump has. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "Trump, Gaza, and the “blank check” approach to Israel," 15 May 2018 Unfortunately, however, not every partner is willing or able to accept Aries's quick-tempered nature. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What Your Zodiac Sign Says About Your Worst Relationship Habit," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tempered.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.