temper
temper — noun
1. A part of someone's personality that makes them likely to get angry easily and w
A part of someone's personality that makes them likely to get angry easily and without a good reason.
My old history teacher had quite a temper, often shouting at students for minor mistakes.
had quite a temper
Be careful around the new boss; I've heard he has a very bad temper.
has a very bad temper
Her quick temper meant that holiday dinners with her brother often ended in shouting matches.
quick temper
The office manager's short temper meant that everyone tried to avoid her on Monday mornings.
short temper
Despite his fiery temper, Rania was a loyal friend who would help anyone in need.
fiery temper
- a fiery temper
- a violent temper
- a nasty temper
- a man/woman of a certain temper
- irritability
more formal and can sound clinical, suggesting a state of being easily annoyed.
- hot-headedness
informal and emphasizes acting quickly and angrily without thinking.
- irascibility
very formal and literary, describing a disposition of being easily provoked to anger.
Grammar Patterns
have a temper
a bad/quick/short temper
Usage Note
This sense refers to a person's general personality trait, not a single instance of anger. It's often modified by adjectives like 'bad', 'quick', 'short', or 'fiery'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'a temper' to mean a single outburst, which should be 'lost his temper' or 'a fit of temper' (sense 2).
2. An occasion when someone shows they are angry in a way that is difficult to cont
An occasion when someone shows they are angry in a way that is difficult to control.
After the airline lost his luggage for the third time, the traveler finally lost his temper.
lost his temper
The toddler had a terrible fit of temper in the supermarket over a box of cereal.
fit of temper
Nikos slammed the door in a fit of temper when he heard the unfortunate news.
in a fit of temper
When the referee made that call, the coach completely lost his temper and threw his clipboard.
lost his temper
A brief fit of temper in front of clients cost Mauricio a promotion he had worked toward for years.
fit of temper
- fly into a temper
- a fit of temper
- an outburst of temper
- tantrum
often used for children's outbursts, but can be used informally for adults.
- outburst
more general, referring to any sudden expression of strong emotion, not just anger.
- fit of rage
stronger and more intense than 'temper', suggesting a violent or uncontrollable anger.
Grammar Patterns
lose one's temper
a fit of temper
Usage Note
This sense describes a specific event of uncontrolled anger. It's almost always used in set phrases like 'lose one's temper' or 'in a fit of temper'.
Common Mistakes
Saying 'he has a lost temper' instead of 'he lost his temper'.
3. A period when someone is visibly angry, often shown through their attitude or ho
A period when someone is visibly angry, often shown through their attitude or how they behave toward others.
My brother has been in a temper all morning because his computer won't turn on.
in a temper
The chef was in a terrible temper after the new waiter dropped a tray of dishes.
in a terrible temper
Hana locked herself in her room because she was in a temper about her exam results.
in a temper
The taxi driver was in a foul temper after sitting in traffic for over two hours.
in a foul temper
After his sister deleted his game, Mateo was in a terrible temper and refused to come to dinner.
was in a terrible temper
- be in a temper about something
- get into a temper
Grammar Patterns
be in a temper
Usage Note
The phrase 'in a temper' describes the temporary state of being angry, often visibly so.
4. A person's particular mood or state of mind at a certain time.
A person's particular mood or state of mind at a certain time.
When the head nurse was in a bad temper, the junior staff quietly stayed out of her way.
in a bad temper
The librarian was in a good temper that morning, humming softly as she sorted the returned books.
in a good temper
Tamar arrived at the party in a much better temper after taking a long walk.
in a much better temper
The committee found the chairman in a foul temper and decided to postpone the vote.
in a foul temper
People of an even temper tend to make excellent air traffic controllers, staying calm during emergencies.
of an even temper
- in a good/bad temper
- in a foul temper
- of a sweet temper
- of an even temper
- mood
the most common word for a temporary emotional state.
- disposition
refers to a more permanent or typical personality trait, not a temporary state.
- humor
slightly old-fashioned when used this way (e.g., 'in a bad humor').
Grammar Patterns
in a good/bad temper
of an even temper
Usage Note
This formal sense describes a person's mood. It's usually preceded by an adjective like 'good', 'bad', 'foul', or 'even'.
5. The ability to remain calm and not become angry, especially in a difficult situa
The ability to remain calm and not become angry, especially in a difficult situation.
Despite the constant interruptions from his children, he managed to keep his temper during the meeting.
keep his temper
During the championship game, Coach Asher somehow kept his temper even after the referee made several bad calls.
kept his temper
Heloísa showed great professionalism and kept her temper when the client unfairly criticized her hard work.
kept her temper
Keeping one's temper when a customer yells at you for a mistake you did not make is hard but important.
keeping one's temper
The nurse struggled to keep her temper when the impatient patient yelled at her repeatedly.
keep her temper
- keep one's temper
- control one's temper
- hold one's temper
- composure
emphasizes calmness and control over one's feelings in a difficult situation.
- self-control
highlights the act of actively restraining one's emotions or actions.
- equanimity
a formal word for mental calmness, especially under pressure.
Grammar Patterns
keep one's temper
Usage Note
This sense is almost exclusively used in the phrase 'keep one's temper', meaning to stay calm.
To be a person who becomes angry very easily and often for minor reasons.
The head chef has a notoriously short temper, so all the kitchen staff work very carefully around him.
To suddenly become unable to control your anger, or to successfully remain calm in a frustrating situation.
After waiting on hold for an hour, the customer finally lost his temper with the support representative.
It's amazing how the kindergarten teacher can keep her temper with twenty energetic five-year-olds all day.
temper — verb
1. To make a quality, feeling, or statement less extreme by adding something that h
To make a quality, feeling, or statement less extreme by adding something that has an opposite effect.
The president's optimistic speech about the economy was tempered with a warning about rising inflation.
tempered with a warning
Adaeze learned to temper her direct criticism with kind words to avoid hurting people's feelings.
temper ... with
His excitement for the new project was tempered by the stark reality of its limited budget.
tempered by
The judge tempered her strict ruling with sympathy for the young offender's difficult family background.
tempered ... with
Kian tried to temper his son's disappointment with gentle encouragement after he lost the school election.
temper ... with
- temper justice with mercy
- temper criticism with praise
- temper enthusiasm with caution
Grammar Patterns
temper something with something
Usage Note
This formal verb is often used to describe balancing a strong quality or emotion with a contrasting one, using the structure 'temper A with B'.
2. To make a metal harder and stronger by heating it to a high temperature and then
To make a metal harder and stronger by heating it to a high temperature and then cooling it.
The blacksmith began to temper the steel blade by heating it until it glowed bright red.
temper the steel
Ancient Japanese swordsmiths knew how to temper the steel to create incredibly sharp katana blades.
temper the steel
The machinist tempered the steel drill bits by heating them in a furnace for several hours.
tempered the steel
The master swordsman carefully tempered the blade by plunging it into cold water.
tempered the blade
- temper steel
- temper a sword
- temper a blade
- harden
a more general term for making something hard.
- strengthen
focuses on the result of making the metal more durable.
Grammar Patterns
temper + noun (metal)
Usage Note
This is a technical term used in metallurgy and blacksmithing.
3. To treat glass, clay, or another material by heating or mixing it with something
To treat glass, clay, or another material by heating or mixing it with something so that it becomes stronger or more suitable.
Glassmakers temper the glass by cooling it rapidly, which makes it much more resistant to shattering.
temper the glass
Early potters would temper their clay with sand or crushed shells to improve its firing strength.
temper their clay
The factory tempers the rubber by mixing sulfur into it before baking it in a hot oven.
tempers the rubber
Tempering the clay with fine sand helped the potter create more durable ceramic bowls.
tempering the clay
Grammar Patterns
temper + noun (substance)
Usage Note
This is a technical term for altering a substance's physical properties through a specific process.
4. To carefully heat and cool melted chocolate so that it becomes hard, smooth, and
To carefully heat and cool melted chocolate so that it becomes hard, smooth, and shiny when it sets.
A professional pastry chef must know how to properly temper chocolate for a glossy, smooth finish.
temper chocolate
Eleni watched a video to learn how to temper the white chocolate for her birthday cake.
temper the white chocolate
The contestant carefully began to temper the dark chocolate for the final dessert competition round.
temper the dark chocolate
After tempering the white chocolate, Hugo dipped fresh strawberries into the smooth coating.
tempering the white chocolate
Grammar Patterns
temper chocolate
Usage Note
This is a specific term in cooking and confectionery for preparing chocolate.
5. In cooking, to briefly fry spices in hot oil or fat to bring out their flavors a
In cooking, to briefly fry spices in hot oil or fat to bring out their flavors and aromas.
The chef began the curry by tempering whole spices in hot ghee to release their aromas.
tempering whole spices
In Indian cooking, you often temper spices like cumin and mustard seeds at the beginning.
temper spices
Aunt Hana showed me how to temper the spices separately and pour them over the finished lentils.
temper the spices
For the lentil stew, temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot coconut oil.
temper mustard seeds
Grammar Patterns
temper spices
Usage Note
This term is specific to cooking, particularly in South Asian cuisine, where it's also known as 'tarka' or 'tadka'.
Word family
- temperamentnounB2
- temperamentaladjectiveC1
- temperateadjectiveC1
- temperancenounC2
- intemperateadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
These words all relate to emotions, but at different levels. 'Temper' specifically refers to a person's tendency to become angry. If someone 'has a temper', it means they get angry easily. 'Disposition' is much broader; it describes a person's overall natural character or usual mood, such as a 'sunny disposition' or a 'nervous disposition'. 'Mood' is the most temporary of the three. It describes how you feel at a particular time, like being in a 'good mood' or a 'bad mood', and it can change from one hour to the next.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'temper' comes from the Latin word 'temperare', which meant 'to mix in proper proportion' or 'to regulate'. In ancient and medieval medicine, it was believed that a person's health and personality (their temperament) depended on a correct balance of four liquids in the body called 'humors'. A person with a 'bad temper' was thought to have an unbalanced mix, making them angry. The verb 'to temper' still holds the original meaning of mixing or balancing, like when you 'temper' harsh criticism with some praise to make it less extreme.
First known use
14th century