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

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 But Nadella, exhibiting his tempered personality, avoided taking sides in spats between tech CEOs over whether the advertising business model employed by Facebook and Google had gone too far by turning customers into a product. — Elizabeth Dwoskin, The Seattle Times, "Microsoft CEO Nadella welcomes scrutiny that has roiled tech industry. Easy for him to say," 9 Oct. 2018 The steel chassis has a tempered glass side panel, a bar to keep your cables in place, and support for AIO coolers. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "This custom Fallout computer case brings you a piece of the Wasteland," 9 Aug. 2018 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

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.