temper

1 of 2

noun

tem·​per ˈtem-pər 

1

a

: heat of mind or emotion : proneness to anger : passion

she has a real temper

b

: calmness of mind : composure

c

: state of feeling or frame of mind at a particular time usually dominated by a single strong emotion

d

: a characteristic cast of mind or state of feeling : disposition

2

a

: characteristic tone : trend

the temper of the times

b

: high quality of mind or spirit : courage

c

archaic : a suitable proportion or balance of qualities : a middle state between extremes : mean, medium

virtue is … a just temper between propensities

—T. B. Macaulay

d

archaic : character, quality

the temper of the land you design to sow

—John Mortimer

3

a

: the state of a substance with respect to certain desired qualities (such as hardness, elasticity, or workability)

especially : the degree of hardness or resiliency given steel by tempering

b

: the feel and relative solidity of leather

4

: a substance (such as a metal) added to or mixed with something else (such as another metal) to modify the properties of the latter

temper

2 of 2

verb

tempered; tempering ˈtem-p(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to dilute, qualify, or soften by the addition or influence of something else : moderate

temper justice with mercy

2

a

: to anneal or toughen (glass) by a process of gradually heating and cooling

b(1)

: to harden (a material, such as steel) by reheating and cooling in oil

(2)

: to soften (a material, such as hardened steel or cast iron) by reheating at a lower temperature

3

: to make stronger and more resilient through hardship : toughen

troops tempered in battle

4

: to bring to a suitable state by mixing in or adding a usually liquid ingredient: such as

a

: to mix (clay) with water or a modifier (such as grog) and knead to a uniform texture

b

: to mix oil with (colors) in making paint ready for use

5

a

: to put in tune with something : attune

b

: to adjust the pitch of (a note, chord, or instrument) to a temperament

6

archaic

a

: to exercise control over : govern, restrain

b

: to cause to be well disposed : mollify

tempered and reconciled them both

—Richard Steele

temperable

ˈtem-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

temperer

ˈtem-pər-ər 

noun

Did you know?

Mix Things Up With the Meaning of Temper

The temper root keeps its basic meaning—"to mix" or "to keep within limits"—in the English word temper. When you temper something, you mix it with some balancing quality or substance so as to avoid anything extreme. Thus, it's often said that a judge must temper justice with mercy. Young people only gradually learn to temper their natural enthusiasms with caution. And in dealing with others, we all try to temper our honesty with sensitivity.

Synonyms

Noun

• air
• ambience
• ambiance
• aroma
• atmosphere
• aura
• climate
• flavor
• halo
• karma
• mood
• nimbus
• note
• odor
• patina
• smell
• vibration(s)

Choose the Right Synonym for temper

disposition, temperament, temper, character, personality mean the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group.

disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one.

a cheerful disposition

temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization.

an artistic temperament

temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations.

a resilient temper

character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.

strength of character

personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person.

a somber personality

Examples of temper in a Sentence

Noun

She has a bad temper.

That boy has quite a temper.

He needs to learn to control his temper.

She hit him in a fit of temper.

He slammed the door and left in a temper.

It's often difficult for parents not to lose their tempers.

He is in a pleasant temper.

Verb

The steel must be properly tempered.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His temper and apparent madness was a big issue, as was the inexperience and limited reach of his nascent political organization. —Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

For all that, his Arthur remains a lowly outsider, with a downcast gaze, a peevish temper, and a deep well of melancholy that never feels one-note. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024

Jackie’s physique grows ever stronger, ever harder, even as her temper grows shorter. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024

My father had a temper, and no one ever wanted to cross him. —Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024

Her temper sometimes flared while under aggressive questioning about her personal life. —Michael Levenson, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

But Mahomes’ temper got the best of him during a couple of tough games at the end of the regular season. —Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2024

My temper was just as short as his, and neither of us liked to back down. —Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024

So when the Italians moved over to the United States in the early 1900s, those prejudices came with them... that these people were of a questionable, secretive nature and had a hot-blooded temper and things of that kind. —Journal Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024

Verb

The mouthfeel is a bit thin and overall the palate is on the lighter side, but this is a tasty bourbon with a nice sweetness to it that’s tempered with a good amount of spice from the high rye content. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024

Recent hawkish commentary from Fed Chair Jerome Powell coupled with a string of higher-than-expected inflation reports have tempered Wall Street’s dreams of lower interest rates. —Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024

For some officials, that has tempered the desire for cuts, because recession fears have faded away. —Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024

Meanwhile, Democrats should temper their rhetoric when responding to the right’s tactics to avoid drawing the military deeper into partisan fights and worsening its politicization in the process. —Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024

Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: SOTU proposals are always an aspirational candy store and are tempered over time and by an oppositional Congress. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024

Biden said earlier this week that a cease-fire deal could be reached by Monday, before tempering his optimism after Thursday's deaths. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024

The dot-com crash underscores the importance of tempering confidence with caution, urging investors to evaluate their assumptions and the quality of their information critically. —Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

But a spirited State of the Union address last week seemed to temper some concerns for now about his ability to do the job. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tempure, tempyr, temper "moderation, mixture of things in proper proportion, mental state," probably noun derivative of tempren, temperen "to mix with, soften, moderate" — more at temper entry 2

Verb

Middle English tempren, temperen "to be mixed with, mix with, soften, moderate, regulate, tune," in part going back to Old English temprian "to mix with, moderate," borrowed from Latin temperāre "to exercise moderation, restrain oneself, moderate, bring to a proper strength or consistency by mixing, maintain in a state of balance," perhaps derivative of temper-, variant stem of tempor-, tempus "period of time"; in part borrowed from Anglo-French temprer, tremper, going back to Latin temperāre — more at tempo

Note: The derivation of temperāre from temper- and hence tempus is based on the hypothesis that the original meaning of the noun was "extent, measure"; however, it is not entirely certain that the meanings "to restrain" or "to bring to a suitable state by mixing" (whichever might be the original meaning of temperāre) are consonant with the idea of measuring.

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2c

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing temper

• keep one's temper
• short temper
• quick temper
• one's temper flares
• lose one's temper

Kids Definition

temper

1 of 2 verb

tem·​per ˈtem-pər 

tempered; tempering -p(ə-)riŋ 

1

: moderate entry 2 sense 1, soften

temper justice with mercy

2

: to control by reducing : subdue

temper one's anger

3

: to bring (as steel or glass) to the desired hardness or strength by heating and cooling

4

: to be or become tempered

temper

2 of 2 noun

1

: characteristic manner of feeling

the temper of the times

2

: the hardness or toughness of a substance

the temper of a knife blade

3

a

: a characteristic state of mind or state of feeling : disposition

b

: calmness of mind : composure

lost my temper

c

: state of feeling or state of mind at a particular time

d

: a state of anger

left in a temper

e

: the quality of being easily angered

has a hot temper