idiom
Tempered by Fire
TEM-perd by FY-er
/ˈtɛmpərd baɪ ˈfaɪər/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
temperedbyfire
Dictionary meaning
Made stronger, wiser, or more resilient through hardship or difficult experience
History and origin
From metallurgy: tempering metal involves heating and controlled cooling to improve toughness
Examples
- She was tempered by fire during the company's near-collapse, emerging as a decisive leader.
- Steel is literally tempered by fire; great teams are figuratively tempered the same way.
Synonyms: battle-hardened, forged in adversity
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