intemperate
Americanadjective
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given to or characterized by excessive or immoderate indulgence in alcoholic beverages.
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immoderate in indulgence of appetite or passion.
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not temperate; unrestrained; unbridled.
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extreme in temperature, as climate.
adjective
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consuming alcoholic drink habitually or to excess
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indulging bodily appetites to excess; immoderate
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unrestrained
intemperate rage
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extreme or severe
an intemperate climate
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intemperate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word intemperātus. See in- 3, temperate
Explanation
If a climate is intemperate, its temperatures might be extreme. If a person is intemperate, his moods might be extreme. Being intemperate is all about avoiding moderation. Intemperate is a combination of the prefix in- meaning "not" and the Latin temperantia meaning "moderation." When you are intemperate, you are not doing things in moderation; you lack self-control. It's often a word used when describing the tendency someone has to indulge excessively in liquor. An alcoholic is intemperate — overindulging and depending on alcohol.
Vocabulary lists containing intemperate
Behave Yourself! Vocabulary for Good, Bad, and Indifferent Conduct
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Chains
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Hamilton
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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.
His intemperate public remarks sparked international outrage, creating crises his subordinates were forced to repair.
From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026
They can start with the easy stuff, the often intemperate and poorly researched opposition to everything he does.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
An apocryphal story has George Washington breakfasting with Thomas Jefferson and referring to the Senate as a saucer intended to cool the passions of the intemperate lower chamber.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025
Speaking to BBC Scotland's Sunday Show, he said: "I think there were some intemperate words used let it put it no more strongly than that."
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2023
Before the postcard was delivered to New York, it was read by Russian censors, and Bobby’s intemperate response found its way into the Soviet press.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
