temper

American  

[tem-per] / ˈtɛm pər /

noun

1. a particular state of mind or feelings.

   Synonyms:

   point of view, perspective, outlook, inclination, attitude, humor, frame of mind, cheer

2. habit of mind, especially with respect to irritability or patience, outbursts of anger, or the like; disposition.

   an even temper.

   Synonyms:

   temperament, spirit, nature, makeup, habit, grain, disposition

3. heat of mind or passion, shown in outbursts of anger, resentment, etc.

   Synonyms:

   petulance, irritation, irritability, crossness, annoyance, resentment

4. calm disposition or state of mind.

   to be out of temper.

   Synonyms:

   composure, equanimity

5. a substance added to something to modify its properties or qualities.

6. Metallurgy.

   1. the degree of hardness and strength imparted to a metal, as by quenching, heat treatment, or cold working.

   2. the percentage of carbon in tool steel.

   3. the operation of tempering.

7. Archaic. a middle course; compromise.

8. Obsolete. the constitution or character of a substance.

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verb (used with object)

1. to moderate or mitigate.

   to temper justice with mercy.

2. to soften or tone down.

3. to bring to a proper, suitable, or desirable state by or as by blending or admixture.

4. to moisten, mix, and work up into proper consistency, as clay or mortar.

5. Metallurgy. to impart strength or toughness to (steel or cast iron) by heating and cooling.

6. to produce internal stresses in (glass) by sudden cooling from low red heat; toughen.

7. to tune (a keyboard instrument, as a piano, organ, or harpsichord) so as to make the tones available in different keys or tonalities.

8. to modify (color) by mixing with a medium.

9. Archaic. to combine or blend in due proportions.

10. Archaic. to pacify.

verb (used without object)

1. to be or become tempered.

temper British  

/ ˈtɛmpə /

noun

1. a frame of mind; mood or humour

   a good temper

2. a sudden outburst of anger; tantrum

3. a tendency to exhibit uncontrolled anger; irritability

4. a mental condition of moderation and calm (esp in the phrases keep one's temper, lose one's temper, out of temper )

5. the degree of hardness, elasticity, or a similar property of a metal or metal object

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verb

1. to make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate

   he tempered his criticism with kindly sympathy

2. to strengthen or toughen (a metal or metal article) by heat treatment, as by heating and quenching

3. music

   1. to adjust the frequency differences between the notes of a scale on (a keyboard instrument) in order to allow modulation into other keys

   2. to make such an adjustment to the pitches of notes in (a scale)

4. a rare word for adapt

5. an archaic word for mix

temper Idioms  

1. see hold one's temper; lose one's temper.

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Related Words

See disposition. See modify.

Other Word Forms

• nontemperable
  adjective
• retemper
  verb (used with object)
• temperability
  noun
• temperable
  adjective
• temperer
  noun
• untemperable
  adjective
• untempering
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of temper

before 1000; (v.) Middle English tempren, Old English temprian < Latin temperāre to divide or proportion duly, temper; (noun) Middle English: proportion, derivative of the v.

Explanation

Temper can refer to a tendency to become unreasonably angry. If you’re not sure whether you have a temper, ask your friends — but don’t get mad if you dislike what they have to say. Temper has a number of related yet distinct meanings. In addition to describing a tendency to anger, temper can also refer to one’s mood in general; if you use the word in this sense, you might describe someone's temper as "angry" or "mild." Temper can also be used as a verb meaning “to restrain.” If you have a nasty temper, you might try tempering your temper by counting to ten whenever you’re tempted to throw a "temper tantrum," or fit.

Example Sentences

Appeared in the October 18, 2025, print edition as 'Banks Temper Slowdown Fears, Porsche Seeks CEO'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Temper their expectations: COVID-19 has been hard for everyone, including Santa.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2020

Temper tantrums, poor impulse control, short attention spans, knowledge deficits, oppositional behavior, aversions to new things, too much time looking at TV or tablets or smart phones and related behavior.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2020

In his mural here, he is mocking the selfie culture with Temper Tot, his over-muscled child character that he says represents an immature superpower.

From New York Times • Oct. 23, 2019

“Commandant's been on my back for days. Hag keeps killing off her girls. Temper like a viper.”

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• abate
• allay
• alleviate
• assuage
• cool
• curb
• dilute
• ease
• lessen
• mitigate
• mollify
• restrain
• soften
• soothe
• tone down
• weaken