tempered
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
having a specific type of mood or personality; usually used with another word like 'sweet' or 'bad'.
having a specified disposition or temper; almost exclusively used in hyphenated compounds.
Simple“He is a very even-tempered person who never gets angry at work.”
In context“Despite the high-pressure environment of the emergency room, she remained remarkably even-tempered throughout her twelve-hour shift.”
UsageUsually appears as the second part of a compound adjective, such as 'bad-tempered' or 'sweet-tempered'.
Synonymsnatureddispositioned - 02 C1 Advanced
made less extreme or softer by adding something else.
moderated, qualified, or balanced by the presence of other considerations or qualities.
Simple“His excitement about the new job was tempered by the long commute.”
In context“The minister's optimism regarding the economic forecast was tempered by a cautious warning about rising inflation rates.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'by'.
Antonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
treated with heat or chemicals to make it much stronger.
referring to glass or metal that has been subjected to a process of heating and cooling to increase toughness and reduce brittleness.
Simple“The glass in the car window is tempered so it doesn't break into sharp pieces.”
In context“The structural integrity of the skyscraper relied on the use of tempered steel beams capable of withstanding extreme thermal expansion.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
tuned in a way that allows music to be played in any key.
relating to a system of tuning, such as equal temperament, where intervals are adjusted to allow playing in all keys.
Simple“The piano was tuned to a tempered scale so the performer could play every piece.”
In context“Bach's famous collection of preludes and fugues demonstrated the expressive possibilities of the well-tempered keyboard.”
From Middle English tempred, itempered, ytempred, ytemprid, from Old English ġetemprod (“tempered, moderate, goverened, cured”), past participle of Old English ġetemprian (“to temper, moderate, govern, cure”), equivalent to temper + -ed.
Partly from Middle English temperd, temprede, from Old English temprode, first and third person singular preterit of Old English temprian; and partly from Middle English tempred, i-tempred, from Old English ġetemprod. Equivalent to temper + -ed.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.