temperamental
Americanadjective
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having or exhibiting a strongly marked, individual temperament.
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moody, irritable, or sensitive.
a temperamental artist.
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given to erratic behavior; unpredictable.
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of or relating to temperament; constitutional.
temperamental differences.
adjective
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easily upset or irritated; excitable; volatile
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of, relating to, or caused by temperament
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informal working erratically and inconsistently; unreliable
a temperamental sewing machine
Other Word Forms
- nontemperamental adjective
- nontemperamentally adverb
- temperamentally adverb
- untemperamental adjective
- untemperamentally adverb
Etymology
Origin of temperamental
First recorded in 1640–50; temperament + -al 1
Explanation
If your moods change quickly and dramatically, people might describe you as temperamental. If you weren't so temperamental, maybe your friends would open up to you more. Did I say something wrong? The adjective temperamental can also be used to describe objects that behave unpredictably. A temperamental air conditioner can make for a long, hot summer. Fortunately, you're not temperamental or you might have smashed it to bits by now. The second “e” in temperamental gets swallowed so that it sounds like "temp-ra-MENT-al" (four syllables).
Vocabulary lists containing temperamental
Into the Wild
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The Lightning Thief
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This Week In Culture, April 26–May 2, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An example he cited was Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory beleaguered by a temperamental power grid and excluded from congressional and presidential elections.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
"But young stars are so extremely spotty, active, and temperamental, that the Doppler method is a non-starter."
From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026
Netflix has appealed to investors over the past decade precisely because it has been able to focus on streaming without the baggage of managing a declining cable-TV business and dealing with a temperamental theatrical market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
The temperamental 2022 Wimbledon finalist, one of tennis's most dynamic players when at the top of his game, makes his comeback at the season-opening Brisbane International.
From Barron's • Jan. 3, 2026
Smith and Pollard had stripped away the temperamental barriers.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
