<p>With the widespread adoption of ultra-precision machining (UPM) in manufacturing, accurately monitoring the temperature within micro-scale cutting zones has become crucial for ensuring machining quality and tool longevity. This review comprehensively evaluates modern in-process cutting temperature measurement methods, comparing conventional approaches and emerging technologies. Thermal conduction-based and radiation-based measurement paradigms are analyzed in terms of their merits, limitations, and domain-specific applicability, particularly with regard to the unique challenges involving micro-scale cutting zones in UPM. Special emphasis is placed on micro-scale sensor-integrated tools and self-sensing tools that enable real-time thermal monitoring at cutting edges. Furthermore, we explore thermal monitoring and management techniques for atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing (ACSM), as well as the transformative potential of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and data fusion for machining temperature measurement. This review may serve as a reference for UPM cutting temperature measurement research, helping foster the development of optimized process control technologies.</p>