temperamental

American  

[tem-per-uh-men-tl, -pruh-men-, -per-men-] / ˌtɛm pər əˈmɛn tl, -prəˈmɛn-, -pərˈmɛn- /

adjective

1. having or exhibiting a strongly marked, individual temperament.

2. moody, irritable, or sensitive.

   a temperamental artist.

   Synonyms:

   emotional, volatile, excitable

3. given to erratic behavior; unpredictable.

4. of or relating to temperament; constitutional.

   temperamental differences.

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temperamental British  

/ -prəˈmɛntəl, ˌtɛmpərəˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. easily upset or irritated; excitable; volatile

2. of, relating to, or caused by temperament

3. informal working erratically and inconsistently; unreliable

   a temperamental sewing machine

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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

Example Sentences

"It's an economic landscape that is completely temperamental," said Anna Barker, co-founder of the firm.

From BBC

"But young stars are so extremely spotty, active, and temperamental, that the Doppler method is a non-starter."

From Science Daily

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

She said when there are two temperamental personalities together "there is going to be an explosion".

From BBC

That faucet was very temperamental, had been for years, and no amount of pleading with the super had gotten him to come and fix it.

From Literature

Related Words

• capricious
• erratic
• excitable
• fickle
• headstrong
• high-strung
• impatient
• irritable
• mercurial
• moody
• ornery
• passionate
• petulant
• thin-skinned
• unpredictable
• unreliable
• unstable
• volatile