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Synonyms

tempered

American  
[tem-perd] / ˈtɛm pərd /

adjective

  1. having a temper or disposition of a specified character (usually used in combination).

    a good-tempered child.

  2. Music. tuned in accordance with some other temperament than just or pure temperament, especially tuned in equal temperament.

  3. made less intense or violent, especially by the influence of something good or benign.

    justice tempered with mercy.

  4. properly moistened or mixed, as clay.

  5. Metallurgy. of or relating to steel or cast iron that has been tempered.

tempered British  
/ ˈtɛmpəd /

adjective

  1. music

    1. (of a scale) having the frequency differences between notes adjusted in accordance with the system of equal temperament See temperament

    2. (of an interval) expanded or contracted from the state of being pure

  2. (in combination) having a temper or temperament as specified

    ill-tempered
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nontempered adjective
  • untempered adjective

Etymology

Origin of tempered

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; temper, -ed 2, -ed 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That is because U.S. indexes saw big gains out the gate that were quickly tempered by headlines raising questions about the durability of the cease-fire agreement.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

However, Meade says expectations still need to be tempered.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

At the moment, this scheme has been tempered by factors he didn’t reckon on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

What’s Next: Developing an advanced large-language model is crucial to Meta’s long-term control of its computing platform, as is the buildout of AI products beyond advertising, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has tempered expectations.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

He was smiling in spite of himself; Sierra could tell it was one of those smiles that couldn’t be held back or tempered.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.