tempered

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 combinationshort-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 And the seemingly sweet-tempered Bing turns out to be just as terrifying once his true nature is revealed. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Review: NOS4A2 is a haunting fable about the steep cost of creative gifts," 31 July 2019 The Giants entered the 2019 season with tempered hopes and played down to expectations through the first three months of the season. — Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, "Giants offer fans a lift in the form of ‘free’ flight, much needed change of scenery," 11 Sep. 2019 That's the simple, tempered pleasure of embracing something popular. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Critic's Notebook: The End of 'Baskets' and the Struggle of Loving Niche TV," 22 Aug. 2019 In 1798, hot-tempered Vermont representative Matthew Lyon—who once brawled on the House floor with Roger Griswold of Connecticut—ran for Congressional reelection from prison and won. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "A criminal record won’t prevent Danielle Stella’s bid for Ilhan Omar’s congressional seat," 28 July 2019 For hours, young people rammed metal carts and street signposts into the tempered glass doors and windows of the territory’s lawmaking chamber as police stood by and then retreated. — Suzanne Sataline, The Christian Science Monitor, "Hong Kong protests: Is anyone in charge?," 9 July 2019 Blomgren's Pelle is the perfect embodiment of an outwardly sweet-tempered True Believer with underlying sinister intent, and his clear attraction to Dani gives him a selfish ulterior motive for welcoming her on their trip. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Midsommar is a slasher film with artsy ambitions that doesn’t quite work," 4 July 2019 The usually stoic and tempered lawyer breaks down in terror and shame, not caring who sees. — Kellee Terrell, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Good Fight’s Audra McDonald Isn’t Afraid To Get Political With You," 16 May 2019 Internal party debates have become increasingly bad-tempered and public. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "May’s Brexit Plan Narrowly Survives Votes in Parliament," 17 July 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.