Temper

/ˈtɛmpər/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A person's state of mind or emotions; disposition.

She smiled, trying to keep her temper in check despite the frustrating situation.

The condition of a material, especially the degree of hardness or toughness.

The blacksmith took great care in adjusting the temper of the steel to ensure its durability.

A characteristic mood or disposition; often refers to anger.

His quick temper often got him into trouble with his colleagues.

verb

To soften or strengthen a material by heating and cooling it.

The artisan will temper the glass to make it more resistant to breaking.

To moderate or mitigate something, especially to bring something into balance.

She tried to temper her enthusiasm with a dose of realism.

Middle English, from Old French 'tempre', from Latin 'temperare', meaning 'to moderate, mix, or blend'.

keep your temper

To remain calm and not get angry.

losing your temper

To become unexpectedly angry.

a bad temper

A tendency to become angry easily.

temper with something

To alter or modify something.

temperament

A person's characteristic mood or behavior.

temperate

Moderate in behavior or attitude, especially relating to climate.

temperance

Moderation or self-restraint, especially in eating or drinking.

Hot temper

He's got a hot temper; it doesn't take much to set him off.

Short fuse

Watch out for her; she has a short fuse and can blow up at any moment.