temperate

adjective

ˈtem-p(ə-)rət How to pronounce temperate (audio)
Definition of temperatenext
1
as in moderate
avoiding extremes in behavior or expression rather temperate in his appraisal of the movie, calling it good but not great

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sunny
marked by temperatures that are neither too high nor too low escaped a cold Midwestern winter by vacationing in a more temperate climate down south

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites a soft-spoken, serious-minded person of temperate habits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of temperate Broadnose sevengill sharks are often found in temperate waters in coastal bays at depths of up to 150 feet, according to the Shark Research Institute. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026 GPT-4o taught me how to poison a dinner party with common plants found in a temperate forest environment. — IEEE Spectrum, 14 July 2026 This correlation is also stronger in more temperate regions than tropics, and in countries with fewer human impacts on the environment. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 The vast majority of glaciers in temperate mountain ranges like the Tetons are projected to melt away completely by the end of the century, meaning a critical source of water for mountain streams and lakes will disappear. — Ashlesha Khatiwada, The Conversation, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for temperate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temperate
  1. moderate
  2. sunny
  3. ascetic
  4. mild
  5. abstemious
  6. gentle
  7. abstinent
  8. balmy
Adjective
  • The planet showed a sharp gibbous disk phase, clearly visible even at moderate power.
    — Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Often, these terms seem to be used interchangeably in discussion of the Democrats, and much of the Party’s establishment is indeed moderate as conventionally understood.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of moderate
Adjective
  • Getty Images The Green Bay Packers held their sixth training camp practice on a glorious, sunny, 80-degree Tuesday morning.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This shoe is designed to be worn to long, sunny lunches along some Mediterranean coastline; plus, the closed toe offers more security and stability.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sunny
Adjective
  • And there were posters tearing apart his otherworldly self-projection as a fakir, or ascetic, depicting him in his monogrammed suits, designer sunglasses, and aircraft.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Then, over the following years, came sustainability and strict reuse and ascetic renunciation, and today, finally, its photo series and articles advocated for a mild, slightly quirky anticapitalist metaphysics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of ascetic
Adjective
  • Unlike their spicy relatives, bell peppers contain little to no capsaicin – the compound responsible for a pepper's heat – which gives them their signature crisp texture and mild flavor.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • DeVaux and team caught it early enough to keep mild, so that the champion missed just ten days of training.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of mild
Adjective
  • Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.
    — Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
  • His first term now looks practically abstemious.
    — Erin Neil, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of abstemious
Adjective
  • The Appolia collection is made with scratch-resistant enamel and resilient ceramic for gentle, even cooking that brings out flavors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • When a rogue asteroid hurtles toward Earth on short notice, gentle gravitational nudges and kinetic bumps won’t save the day.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of gentle
Adjective
  • One of the sacrifices Dolan mentioned in his speech was staying abstinent.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
  • Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day where Catholics are obliged to fast and stay abstinent throughout the day until midnight.
    — Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of abstinent
Adjective
  • The southernmost Scandinavian country might not seem like an obvious place to spend the warmer months—its mercurial weather is a far cry from the reliably balmy climes of Marseille or Sorrento.
    — Stephanie Gavan, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026
  • The singer’s fourth album inhabits a balmy medium zone of relentlessly moderate tempos and subdued vocals, where even brief moments of intriguing tension and fuzz get flattened into homogeneity.
    — Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of balmy

Browse Nearby Words

temperas
temperate
temperately
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Temperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temperate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on temperate

Nglish: Translation of temperate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All