Temper meaning

What does “temper” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“temper” is a noun and verb with 9 meanings. Its most common meaning is: a sudden outburst of anger.

temper

a sudden outburst of anger
“his temper sparked like damp firewood”
Synonymspique irritation
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
“whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time”
“he was in a bad humor”
Synonymsmood humor humour
a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
“his temper was well known to all his employees”
Synonymsbiliousness irritability peevishness pettishness snappishness surliness
the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
Synonymstoughness

bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
“temper glass”
Synonymsanneal normalize
harden by reheating and cooling in oil
“temper steel”
Synonymsharden
adjust the pitch (of pianos)
make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else
“she tempered her criticism”
Synonymsseason mollify moderate
change by restraining or moderating
Synonymschasten

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University