1. To modify by the addition of a moderating element; to moderate: The teacher tempered her criticism of Tom's essay with a few words of encouragement.
2. To bring to a desired consistency, texture, hardness, or other physical condition by or as if by blending: In order to have the right color for painting his picture, Tim tempered it with some oil to make the consistency and color better.
3. To harden or to strengthen metal or glass by an application of heat or by heating and cooling: In order to make the horseshoes for his customers, the blacksmith at the outdoor museum had to temper the steel in order to hammer it to the correct size.
4. To strengthen through experience or hardship; to toughen: There are soldiers who have been tempered by combat.
5. To adjust finely, to attune: Mark developed a portfolio that is tempered to the investor's needs and desires.
5. Etymology: from Middle English temprien, tempren, from Old English temprian, "to moderate, to regulate, to mingle", and Old French temprer (French temperer), which both derive from Latin temperare, "to mix in due proportion, to combine properly, to moderate, to regulate", probably from temper-, a variant of tempor- stem of tempus, "time, pertaining to time, a season".

1. The hardening of something by using heat in order to produce more strength or more solidness: The blacksmith used tempering in order to make the metal for the bridles of the horses strong and durable.
2. The situation of making something more balanced or less intense: The tempering of Monroe's extreme excitement about climbing up Mt. Everest was made clear to him after learning that he would have to lose quite a bit of weight and do workouts at the fitness studio three times week for at least a year.