Engineering English
Tempering
Manufacturing Engineering · Materials Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Tempering is a heat treatment process where a quenched metal is reheated to a specific temperature below its critical point to reduce brittleness and relieve internal stresses. It improves toughness while maintaining adequate hardness.
Example in context
“After quenching, the cutting tool is tempered at 200°C for two hours to achieve the required balance between hardness and toughness.”
“Su verme işleminden sonra kesici takım, gerekli sertlik ve tokluk dengesini sağlamak için 200°C'de iki saat menevişlenir.”
Where engineers use it
Tempering is applied after quenching in heat treatment shops to adjust mechanical properties. Engineers select tempering temperature and time based on the required hardness and toughness for the part's service conditions.
Synonyms: drawing
Antonyms: quenching
In Materials Engineering
A heat treatment applied after quenching in which the hardened metal is reheated below the transformation temperature and then cooled. It reduces brittleness and residual stress while trading away some hardness for toughness.
“The quenched chisel was far too brittle for service, so tempering at a moderate temperature gave it the toughness needed for repeated hammer blows.”
Practice: can you use “Tempering” at work?
A manufacturing engineer receives a batch of quenched springs that are too brittle. They must determine the correct tempering cycle to improve ductility without sacrificing strength.
Show a model answer
“What tempering temperature should be used for a spring steel to prevent brittle failure?”
“Tempering” in 21 languages
| English | Tempering |
|---|---|
| Turkish | menevişleme |
| French | revenu |
| German | Anlassen |
| Spanish | revenido |
| Chinese | 回火 |
| Arabic | التخمير |
| Portuguese | revenimento |
| Russian | отпуск |
| Japanese | 焼き戻し |
| Italian | rinvenimento |
| Vietnamese | ram |
| Hindi | टेम्परिंग |
| Thai | การอบคืนตัว |
| Indonesian | tempering |
| Korean | 뜨임 |
| Bengali | টেম্পারিং |
| Dutch | ontlaten |
| Swedish | anlöpning |
| Finnish | päästö |
| Ukrainian | відпуск |
Frequently asked questions
What does Tempering mean in engineering?
Tempering is a heat treatment process where a quenched metal is reheated to a specific temperature below its critical point to reduce brittleness and relieve internal stresses. It improves toughness while maintaining adequate hardness. In Manufacturing Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Tempering?
Tempering is pronounced /ˈtɛm.pər.ɪŋ/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Tempering used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “After quenching, the cutting tool is tempered at 200°C for two hours to achieve the required balance between hardness and toughness.”
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