temper

/ˈtɛmpər/

/ˈtɛmpə/

Other forms: tempered; tempers; tempering

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.

Definitions of temper

1. noun

   a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
   “whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time”

   synonyms: humor, humour, mood

   types:

   peeve

   an annoyed or irritated mood

   sulk, sulkiness

   a mood or display of sullen aloofness or withdrawal

   amiability, good humor, good humour, good temper

   a cheerful and agreeable mood

   distemper, ill humor, ill humour

   an angry and disagreeable mood

   jolliness, jollity, joviality

   feeling jolly and jovial and full of good humor

   moodiness

   a sullen gloomy feeling

   choler, crossness, fretfulness, fussiness, irritability, peevishness, petulance

   an irritable petulant feeling

   type of:

   feeling

   the experiencing of affective and emotional states
2. noun

   a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
   “his temper was well known to all his employees”

   synonyms: biliousness, irritability, peevishness, pettishness, snappishness, surliness

   types:

   querulousness

   the quality of being given to complaining

   type of:

   ill nature

   a disagreeable, irritable, or malevolent disposition
3. noun

   a sudden outburst of anger
   “his temper sparked like damp firewood”

   synonyms: irritation, pique

   type of:

   annoyance, chafe, vexation

   anger produced by some annoying irritation
4. verb

   make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
   “she tempered her criticism”

   synonyms: mollify, season

   type of:

   nerf, weaken

   lessen the strength of
5. verb

   restrain
   synonyms: chasten, moderate

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
6. noun

   the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
   synonyms: toughness

   type of:

   elasticity, snap

   the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed
7. verb

   bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
   “temper glass”

   synonyms: anneal, normalize

   type of:

   harden, indurate

   make hard or harder
8. verb

   harden by reheating and cooling in oil
   “temper steel”

   synonyms: harden

   type of:

   modify

   make less severe or harsh or extreme
9. verb

   adjust the pitch (of pianos)
   type of:

   adjust, correct, set

   alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard