tempered
tempered — adjective
- temperedpositive
- more temperedcomparative
- most temperedsuperlative
1. made less forceful, harsh, or extreme by the addition or influence of something
made less forceful, harsh, or extreme by the addition or influence of something that balances it.
The manager's criticism was tempered with praise, so the team did not feel discouraged.
tempered with [something] for softening effect
Evelyn's excitement was tempered by the knowledge that the trip would cost more than she had saved.
Kenji gave a tempered response at the town meeting, choosing his words to avoid more conflict.
The editorial called for a tempered approach to the new housing policy, urging gradual reform.
Gabriel's tempered enthusiasm for the project showed that he had thought through the risks carefully.
- moderated
focuses on reduction of intensity rather than balancing
- mitigated
implies lessening of something negative, more formal
- restrained
emphasizes self-control in behavior or expression
- unrestrained
opposite of controlled or moderated
- intense
opposite of reduced in force
用法筆記
Often paired with 'with' to introduce the balancing element: tempered with/by [noun]. The word is typically used for emotions, opinions, actions, and reactions rather than physical objects.
常見錯誤
2. changed in its physical properties — such as hardness, strength, or flexibility
changed in its physical properties — such as hardness, strength, or flexibility — by being heated and then cooled in a controlled process.
The blacksmith used tempered steel for the blade because it would hold a sharp edge longer.
tempered + metal/material noun
Tempered glass is used in car windows because it breaks into round pieces, not sharp shards.
Bao checked the frying pan's box, looking for 'tempered glass lid' on the label.
The factory supplies tempered aluminium sheets to an airplane manufacturer that builds fuselage panels.
- hardened
focuses on increased hardness, not always via heat
- toughened
emphasizes increased resistance to breaking
- strengthened
general term, less specific to the heat process
用法筆記
Describes materials (especially glass, steel, metal) that have undergone a specific industrial heat treatment. Not used for food or cooking processes — a 'tempered chocolate' is a different sense (the verb meaning 'to bring to the right consistency').
常見錯誤
3. adjusted so that each of the twelve semitone steps in an octave has exactly the
adjusted so that each of the twelve semitone steps in an octave has exactly the same pitch ratio, allowing music to be played in any key without sounding out of tune.
Bach's 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' was written to showcase the advantages of tempered tuning on keyboard instruments.
most famous reference: 'Well-Tempered Clavier'
When Sofia had her grand piano tuned, the technician explained that it uses equal-tempered tuning with twelve equal intervals.
Tanvi learned that before tempered systems were common, musicians could only play in a few closely related keys.
On a well-tempered harpsichord, a composer can play in C major and F-sharp minor without dissonance.
- equal-tempered
more precise modern term for the same concept
- well-tempered
historical term; implies but does not guarantee equal temperament
- just intonation
a tuning system where intervals are pure but only work in specific keys
用法筆記
Most often encountered in the compound 'well-tempered' (as in Bach's famous collection). In modern contexts, 'equal-tempered' is the more precise term. This sense is rare outside specialist music discussion.