- 1temper something (with something) (formal) to make something less severe by adding something that has the opposite effect Justice must be tempered with mercy. The hot sunny days were tempered by a light breeze. His delight was tempered by regret.
- 2temper something (technology) to make metal as hard as it needs to be by heating and then cooling it tempered steel
temper
verbNAmE//ˈtɛmpər//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they temper he / she / it tempers
past simple tempered
-ing form tempering
Check pronunciation: temper