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 This tempered glass screen protector has built-in antimicrobial protection and offers shatter protection two times stronger than an unprotected screen. — Ellen Mcalpine, CNN Underscored, "Protect your iPhone 12 with these stylish and rugged cases," 16 Oct. 2020 After a quietly historic second season, Edwards entered this year with tempered expectations. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "Ravens film study: Gus Edwards' unlikely advances, stopping Joe Burrow and more," 7 Oct. 2020 She’s now 9 — an enthusiastic and sweet-tempered kid who loves her teachers, classmates and school routines. — Nicole Chung, New York Times, "My Child Has a Disability. What Will Her Education Be Like This Year?," 9 Sep. 2020 At night, hippos come ashore to feed and can be highly aggressive and short-tempered. — Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, "The 10 Deadliest Animals on Earth," 5 Aug. 2020 His foil is the hot-tempered Josto Fadda (Jason Schwartzman), the oldest son of the Mafia boss and a peevish man who struggles to maintain power in his own family. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: Chris Rock leads a slow-but-steady 'Fargo' Season 4," 15 Sep. 2020 Schumer’s tempered praise broke from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat who is a staunch critic of Trump. — Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner, "Schumer praises Trump’s Middle East peace deal," 15 Sep. 2020 Screen protectors, which prevent scratches or cracks, are either plastic or tempered glass. — Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, "Shopping for back-to-school tech? Hit up your local ‘dollar store’ during the coronavirus crisis," 29 Aug. 2020 This time, just in case, my new windows will consist of tempered glass, to reduce the risk of deadly projectiles when the next crisis happens. — Rania Abouzeid, National Geographic, "Why must every Lebanese generation endure violent chaos—and its aftermath?," 26 Aug. 2020

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.