| 释义 |
Definition of temper in English: tempernoun ˈtɛmpəˈtɛmpər 1in singular A person's state of mind seen in terms of their being angry or calm. he rushed out in a very bad temper Example sentencesExamples - So he decided to cancel the dish, and slunk off to his dormitory down the road in a bad temper.
- He idly wondered which one of them was in the bad temper.
- As I said he was in a bad temper most of the time, frustrated to the point of tears by his incapacity.
- After of course spending the rest of lunch period torturing my stupid relative, I stalked out of the cafeteria in a bad temper.
- Gabe stalked over to the weapons rack and pulled down two wooden staves, in a bad temper because his preferred sword hadn't been chosen.
- She carefully spoke to the horse calming it's raging temper.
- Don't be put off by the first track where someone in a bad temper attacks a keyboard for a minute and a half.
- His temper had not calmed from his earlier encounter with the Johnson twins.
- You can't get out of Heathrow without falling immediately into a bad temper.
- I said and got up, stalking off to my room in a frightful temper.
- That would certainly put it in a bad temper and might explain why it was always so scary.
- Reginald was not in when she returned his call later that evening, and Loretta went to bed in a bad temper.
- That morning Francis awoke in rather a bad temper.
- Her temper was sweet and calm, much like a sheep's, until she had a blade in her hand, and then she was as quick and merciless as a she-wolf.
- The bad temper of earlier was gone and his eyes were shining with anticipation.
Synonyms temperament, disposition, nature, character, personality, make-up, constitution, mind, spirit, stamp, mettle, mould mood, frame of mind, cast of mind, habit of mind, attitude archaic humour, grain - 1.1 A tendency to become angry easily.
I know my temper gets the better of me at times Example sentencesExamples - I mean, sure, I have a bad temper, but I'm so totally different from him.
- My temper was at snapping point by the end of the lesson.
- The only problem was, unlike my mother, my father had a temper he could lose easily.
- Emerald was a cunning, quick, but brutal girl with a temper as bad as tempers come.
- His temper was sparked easily, but he also had patience and civility like none other.
- He had a bad temper, and would constantly threaten me and the baby.
- She had a fiery temper and was sometimes worse than Elaine.
- Your temper is as bad as mine. You've shed blood enough in your time, and need not rail at me.
- I have a flaming temper and have a tendency to rebound people's accusations back on them, especially if I'm not feeling good.
- Normally, he was quite calm and quiet, but he had a quick temper that subsided as easily as it came.
- He did have a bad temper sometimes, but it usually wasn't a problem.
- Don't worry, my father isn't abusive, he just has a bad temper.
- Classmates said that he had a terrible temper that easily flared, and that he clung to people far too easily and became jealous and angry.
- He also had a fiery temper and loved a good argument.
- He had to overcome a violent temper and a tendency to excessive self-criticism.
- But don't get the wrong idea, he doesn't have a bad temper with Sherry or his kids.
- I don't think I have a bad temper, but I can get pretty agitated when watching sports that I like, such as football or boxing!
- The coach is a modest, quiet man; Olga has a temper, is easily hurt and wants to do everything her own way.
- Despite his mean temper and violent tendencies, she did not draw back from him, and Heathcliff found this delicious.
- They're known for having a nasty temper and a love of drinking.
Synonyms anger, fury, rage, annoyance, vexation, crossness, irascibility, irritation, irritability, ill humour, ill temper, dyspepsia, spleen, pique, petulance, peevishness, pettishness, testiness, tetchiness, snappishness, crabbiness, resentment, surliness, churlishness air rage British informal stroppiness literary ire, choler - 1.2 An angry state of mind.
Drew had walked out in a temper mass noun I only said it in a fit of temper Example sentencesExamples - He might ruin any number of valuable things in a temper!
- He tends to karate kick the office partition when he's in a temper.
- I watched her as she walked away from me, obviously in a temper from that confrontation a few minutes ago.
- The führer pushed the girl violently to the ground in a temper.
- Brigid refused and, in a fit of temper, one of her brothers hit her in the face.
- He still wanted to survive the ceremony, and that would be harder if Ishella was in a temper.
- Mark frowned; he didn't expect the word to get around that quickly, but then, he never counted on Mary-Ellen in a temper.
- The man struck me in a temper, so hard I bounced off the courtyard wall.
- She seemed to inflate, her nostrils flaring in a temper.
- To her surprise, he didn't throw her out in a fit of temper.
- I have a tendency toward being a bit of a nag to Chris, and I guess I put him in a temper.
- Molly stamps her foot in a temper.
- He was getting extremely angry and damaged the second window in a fit of temper.
- Who knows what I might do tomorrow in a fit of temper or in a fit of rage.
- Nelly, in a temper, grabbed the bird and lashed it from her shoulder.
- Realising that he has been fooled, Cohen leaves in a temper.
- Sometimes it is not easy or possible to walk away, especially when they are in the middle of a fit of temper.
- Still in a fit of temper, she grabbed the remote from him and turned the TV on.
- I expect that over the years, she has sought to accommodate her daughter's wishes rather than confront her whenever she has been in a temper.
- Damon, on the other hand, saw that I was in a temper, and got as far away from me as he could.
Synonyms fit of rage, rage, fury, fit of bad/ill temper, bad temper, tantrum, passion, paroxysm fit of pique, bad mood, mood, pet, sulk informal grump, huff, snit British informal strop, paddy British informal, dated bate, wax, skid North American informal blowout, hissy fit archaic paddywhack, miff
2mass noun The degree of hardness and elasticity in steel or other metal. the blade rapidly heats up and the metal loses its temper Example sentencesExamples - In this connection it is well known that molybdenum additions to Ni-Cr steels can eliminate temper embrittlement.
- The resistance to atmospheric corrosion is improved and copper steels can be temper hardened.
- Alloys in the T4 temper are susceptible to room-temperature aging.
verb ˈtɛmpəˈtɛmpər [with object]1Improve the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it. the way a smith would temper a sword Example sentencesExamples - These alloy steels are ordinarily quench-hardened and tempered to the level of strength desired for the application.
- Next, the steel was tempered by a special controlled heat treatment that gave it ‘life’ or spring.
- They only had only sandstone and chalk in the area, but they imported metals to temper, smelt, and forge.
- One book might teach you how to temper steel, another how to cut a thread, a third how to weld.
- When cast steels are quenched and tempered, the range of strength and of toughness is broadened.
- As the quenched iron is tempered, its hardness decreases, whereas it usually gains in strength and toughness.
- He claims to have adopted a new mode of tempering the steel, producing an edge of greater durability than any previously made.
- Temper embrittlement is quite common in slowly heavy solutions of steels tempered in the range from 400 to 560°C.
- Castings should be tempered immediately after quenching to relieve quenching stresses.
- Quench-hardened alloys normally are tempered to improve toughness and ductility and reduce hardness in a manner similar to that for alloy steels.
- The steel is then quenched to the martensitic state and tempered at an appropriate temperature.
- Quenched and tempered structural steels are primarily available in the form of plate or bar products.
- All hardenable steels must be hardened and tempered before being nitrided.
- Virtually all steels must be quenched and tempered for core properties before being nitrided or stress relieved for distortion control.
- Blackened steel, tempered into armour, was what they wore.
- Alloying elements may have different effects on steel after tempering at the steel proneness to temper embrittlement.
- Within a couple of years he found himself running a part-time business making custom knives in the purest form - from steel he forged and tempered himself.
- Nearly always forged and tempered, stainless steel blades hold an edge well.
- It decreases hardenability but sustains hardness during tempering.
- 1.1 Improve the consistency or resiliency of (a substance) by heating it or adding particular substances to it.
hardboard tempered with oil or resin is more durable Example sentencesExamples - The side glass, which is tempered glass, shatters into thousands of pellets when it is struck with an object.
- The blanks are made of relatively soft glass and must be tempered, either by chemicals or heat, to strengthen them before inserting into the frame.
- This process includes tempering, which consists of repeatedly heating the chocolate to a specific temperature and then cooling it down.
- All the replacement glass will be tempered glass, he said.
- Some of these components can be tempered by residual heating.
Synonyms harden, strengthen, toughen, fortify technical anneal
2Act as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something) their idealism is tempered with realism Example sentencesExamples - But let's temper expectancy with caution, knowing that a team is only as good, or indeed as bad, as its last outing.
- The weather was just right: warm sunshine tempered by a gentle sea breeze.
- In the end, the film's moderately optimistic stance is tempered with a standard commentary on war and the nature of human aggression.
- Like most expats, however, he tempers his fascination with some critical observations.
- Young keeps a level tone throughout, tempering the tale of depredation with a dry wit.
- It's lush and exotically ripe, yet still freshly laced with red fruit aromas and flavour, tempered by balmy spice and a softly seductive texture.
- The young shoots make a pleasant vegetable, whose acidity can be tempered by the addition of a little sugar in the cooking.
- Had he tempered his love of Canadian hockey with some realism and advocated for some change, who knows what his impact could have been?
- Expectation should be tempered by a strong dose of reality.
- What's more, protein tempers blood sugar fluctuations, preventing the spikes and crashes that can leave you hungry and drained.
- Fortunately, he tempers that seriousness with the one-man show's greatest asset - humour - and shows that the best way to get through life is to learn to laugh at yourself.
- The island's climate is semi-tropical; yearlong rainfall keeps it green; heat and humidity are tempered by soft breezes.
- The heat is tempered by sea breezes on the coast.
- One difference, however, is the note of realism and levity that tempers every show.
- Once the egg mixture has been tempered with the garlic broth, you cut up an inch off of a baguette, letting the bread rise to the top of the bowl.
- In contrast, Laura's dish was a robust raid on the taste buds, the rich venison - cut into wafer thin slices - slightly tempered by the sweet, autumnal flavour of the warm pear relish.
- The heat of the peppers is tempered by the peanuts, the sweetness of the honey balanced by the soy sauce and the citrusy tang of the ginger complemented by the garlic.
- Their peacefulness is tempered with readiness and realism.
- Coconut milk tempers the spices of the green curry fish, so it works with the cherry, smoky plum, and other flavors in the Pinot Noir.
- Always remember, however, that sea breezes will temper the heat and might cool things considerably.
Synonyms moderate, modify, modulate tone down, mitigate, palliate, alleviate, allay, assuage, lessen, reduce, weaken, lighten, soften, cushion qualify 3Tune (a piano or other instrument) so as to adjust the note intervals correctly. Example sentencesExamples - The technician is trained on tempering the piano for tuning.
- In tempering the piano, we narrow the fifths and widen the fourths.
Phrases keep (or lose) one's temper Retain (or fail to retain) composure when angry. it took all her patience to keep her temper Example sentencesExamples - ‘I want to be left alone. ‘Leon was starting to get angry, but he had to keep his temper in check.’
- General Powell lost his temper and fired the gun into the air.
- You just lost your temper with me, didn't you?
- She is frightened at first, and then becomes angry, soon losing her temper.
- Charles exploded, losing his temper and nearly shouting at his shocked son.
- He went on: ‘For some reason we shall never know why you lost your temper.’
- I know that both times I was wrong for blowing up and losing my temper, but it was extremely hard not to.
- I always got angry easily and would lose my temper like that.
- When teachers and parents inflict bodily punishment on children to discipline them, that means those adults themselves do not possess patience - they lose their temper.
- Jennifer was getting angry at him, but she kept her temper in check.
Synonyms composure, equanimity, self-control, self-possession, sangfroid, coolness, calm, calmness, tranquillity, good humour become very angry, fly into a rage, explode, blow up, erupt, lose control, go berserk, breathe fire, begin to rant and rave, flare up, boil over
on waking each day she had been out of temper Example sentencesExamples - It was not that he was out of temper with Simon.
- He was out of temper; and he looked up with an angry scowl.
- A lifelong friend has never known him to be out of temper or speak ill words of others.
Synonyms irritable, irascible, fractious, fretful, cross, petulant, pettish, crabbed, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, disagreeable, miserable, morose, peppery, on edge, edgy, impatient, complaining, querulous
Derivatives noun Their temperers are considered some of the best machines in the business, as evidenced by their client list. Example sentencesExamples - Fabricating debris is a known quality control issue that can be minimized when temperers follow all recommended maintenance procedures for washers, rollers and other tempering equipment.
- The meantone temperer is used to temper the connected musical instrument to any desired meantone-tempered scale, which is selected by the user.
- Four common types of automated temperers are used - tempering kettle, plate heat exchanger, screw type temperer, and bowl type temperer.
- The new temperer, control station and acoustic booth are located in a special area, sealed off from the rest of production.
adjective -ətɪv
Origin Old English temprian 'bring something into the required condition by mixing it with something else', from Latin temperare 'mingle, restrain'. Sense development was probably influenced by Old French temprer 'to temper, moderate'. The noun originally denoted a proportionate mixture of elements or qualities, also the combination of the four bodily humours, believed in medieval times to be the basis of temperament, hence sense 1 of the noun (late Middle English). Compare with temperament. The first sense of temper was ‘a person's state of mind’, either angry or calm. The word goes back ultimately to Latin temperare ‘to mingle’, and in medieval times the noun referred to the right balance in a mixture of elements or qualities, still used of metals. It was particularly associated with the thought of the combination of the four bodily humours (see humour) believed to control whether you were naturally calm, optimistic, melancholy, or irritable. This dictated what kind of temperament you had, a Late Middle English term from the Latin for ‘correct mixture’.
Definition of temper in US English: tempernounˈtɛmpərˈtempər 1in singular A person's state of mind seen in terms of their being angry or calm. he rushed out in a very bad temper Example sentencesExamples - That would certainly put it in a bad temper and might explain why it was always so scary.
- So he decided to cancel the dish, and slunk off to his dormitory down the road in a bad temper.
- After of course spending the rest of lunch period torturing my stupid relative, I stalked out of the cafeteria in a bad temper.
- I said and got up, stalking off to my room in a frightful temper.
- As I said he was in a bad temper most of the time, frustrated to the point of tears by his incapacity.
- Her temper was sweet and calm, much like a sheep's, until she had a blade in her hand, and then she was as quick and merciless as a she-wolf.
- He idly wondered which one of them was in the bad temper.
- The bad temper of earlier was gone and his eyes were shining with anticipation.
- She carefully spoke to the horse calming it's raging temper.
- Don't be put off by the first track where someone in a bad temper attacks a keyboard for a minute and a half.
- Gabe stalked over to the weapons rack and pulled down two wooden staves, in a bad temper because his preferred sword hadn't been chosen.
- That morning Francis awoke in rather a bad temper.
- You can't get out of Heathrow without falling immediately into a bad temper.
- His temper had not calmed from his earlier encounter with the Johnson twins.
- Reginald was not in when she returned his call later that evening, and Loretta went to bed in a bad temper.
Synonyms temperament, disposition, nature, character, personality, make-up, constitution, mind, spirit, stamp, mettle, mould - 1.1 A tendency to become angry easily.
I know my temper gets the better of me at times Example sentencesExamples - The only problem was, unlike my mother, my father had a temper he could lose easily.
- They're known for having a nasty temper and a love of drinking.
- Emerald was a cunning, quick, but brutal girl with a temper as bad as tempers come.
- He also had a fiery temper and loved a good argument.
- Your temper is as bad as mine. You've shed blood enough in your time, and need not rail at me.
- I have a flaming temper and have a tendency to rebound people's accusations back on them, especially if I'm not feeling good.
- Classmates said that he had a terrible temper that easily flared, and that he clung to people far too easily and became jealous and angry.
- She had a fiery temper and was sometimes worse than Elaine.
- But don't get the wrong idea, he doesn't have a bad temper with Sherry or his kids.
- He had a bad temper, and would constantly threaten me and the baby.
- My temper was at snapping point by the end of the lesson.
- His temper was sparked easily, but he also had patience and civility like none other.
- I don't think I have a bad temper, but I can get pretty agitated when watching sports that I like, such as football or boxing!
- He had to overcome a violent temper and a tendency to excessive self-criticism.
- Normally, he was quite calm and quiet, but he had a quick temper that subsided as easily as it came.
- Despite his mean temper and violent tendencies, she did not draw back from him, and Heathcliff found this delicious.
- Don't worry, my father isn't abusive, he just has a bad temper.
- I mean, sure, I have a bad temper, but I'm so totally different from him.
- He did have a bad temper sometimes, but it usually wasn't a problem.
- The coach is a modest, quiet man; Olga has a temper, is easily hurt and wants to do everything her own way.
Synonyms anger, fury, rage, annoyance, vexation, crossness, irascibility, irritation, irritability, ill humour, ill temper, dyspepsia, spleen, pique, petulance, peevishness, pettishness, testiness, tetchiness, snappishness, crabbiness, resentment, surliness, churlishness - 1.2 An angry state of mind.
Drew had walked out in a temper I only said it in a fit of temper Example sentencesExamples - Damon, on the other hand, saw that I was in a temper, and got as far away from me as he could.
- Realising that he has been fooled, Cohen leaves in a temper.
- Nelly, in a temper, grabbed the bird and lashed it from her shoulder.
- Sometimes it is not easy or possible to walk away, especially when they are in the middle of a fit of temper.
- Still in a fit of temper, she grabbed the remote from him and turned the TV on.
- I watched her as she walked away from me, obviously in a temper from that confrontation a few minutes ago.
- Brigid refused and, in a fit of temper, one of her brothers hit her in the face.
- Who knows what I might do tomorrow in a fit of temper or in a fit of rage.
- Molly stamps her foot in a temper.
- The man struck me in a temper, so hard I bounced off the courtyard wall.
- He tends to karate kick the office partition when he's in a temper.
- He might ruin any number of valuable things in a temper!
- I have a tendency toward being a bit of a nag to Chris, and I guess I put him in a temper.
- Mark frowned; he didn't expect the word to get around that quickly, but then, he never counted on Mary-Ellen in a temper.
- The führer pushed the girl violently to the ground in a temper.
- She seemed to inflate, her nostrils flaring in a temper.
- He still wanted to survive the ceremony, and that would be harder if Ishella was in a temper.
- I expect that over the years, she has sought to accommodate her daughter's wishes rather than confront her whenever she has been in a temper.
- He was getting extremely angry and damaged the second window in a fit of temper.
- To her surprise, he didn't throw her out in a fit of temper.
Synonyms fit of rage, rage, fury, fit of bad temper, fit of ill temper, bad temper, tantrum, passion, paroxysm
2The degree of hardness and elasticity in steel or other metal. the blade rapidly heats up and the metal loses its temper Example sentencesExamples - The resistance to atmospheric corrosion is improved and copper steels can be temper hardened.
- Alloys in the T4 temper are susceptible to room-temperature aging.
- In this connection it is well known that molybdenum additions to Ni-Cr steels can eliminate temper embrittlement.
verbˈtɛmpərˈtempər [with object]1Improve the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it. the way a smith would temper a sword Example sentencesExamples - Alloying elements may have different effects on steel after tempering at the steel proneness to temper embrittlement.
- As the quenched iron is tempered, its hardness decreases, whereas it usually gains in strength and toughness.
- Castings should be tempered immediately after quenching to relieve quenching stresses.
- Quench-hardened alloys normally are tempered to improve toughness and ductility and reduce hardness in a manner similar to that for alloy steels.
- Nearly always forged and tempered, stainless steel blades hold an edge well.
- They only had only sandstone and chalk in the area, but they imported metals to temper, smelt, and forge.
- Temper embrittlement is quite common in slowly heavy solutions of steels tempered in the range from 400 to 560°C.
- Blackened steel, tempered into armour, was what they wore.
- These alloy steels are ordinarily quench-hardened and tempered to the level of strength desired for the application.
- Next, the steel was tempered by a special controlled heat treatment that gave it ‘life’ or spring.
- It decreases hardenability but sustains hardness during tempering.
- When cast steels are quenched and tempered, the range of strength and of toughness is broadened.
- Within a couple of years he found himself running a part-time business making custom knives in the purest form - from steel he forged and tempered himself.
- Quenched and tempered structural steels are primarily available in the form of plate or bar products.
- All hardenable steels must be hardened and tempered before being nitrided.
- He claims to have adopted a new mode of tempering the steel, producing an edge of greater durability than any previously made.
- The steel is then quenched to the martensitic state and tempered at an appropriate temperature.
- One book might teach you how to temper steel, another how to cut a thread, a third how to weld.
- Virtually all steels must be quenched and tempered for core properties before being nitrided or stress relieved for distortion control.
- 1.1 Improve the consistency or resiliency of (a substance) by means of a process involving heat or chemicals.
the display is a single sheet of glass, tempered for strength for a shiny sheen to the chocolate coating, I recommend tempering the chocolate first Example sentencesExamples - All the replacement glass will be tempered glass, he said.
- The blanks are made of relatively soft glass and must be tempered, either by chemicals or heat, to strengthen them before inserting into the frame.
- Some of these components can be tempered by residual heating.
- This process includes tempering, which consists of repeatedly heating the chocolate to a specific temperature and then cooling it down.
- The side glass, which is tempered glass, shatters into thousands of pellets when it is struck with an object.
Synonyms harden, strengthen, toughen, fortify
2often be tempered withAct as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something) their idealism is tempered with realism Example sentencesExamples - The heat is tempered by sea breezes on the coast.
- It's lush and exotically ripe, yet still freshly laced with red fruit aromas and flavour, tempered by balmy spice and a softly seductive texture.
- In contrast, Laura's dish was a robust raid on the taste buds, the rich venison - cut into wafer thin slices - slightly tempered by the sweet, autumnal flavour of the warm pear relish.
- Once the egg mixture has been tempered with the garlic broth, you cut up an inch off of a baguette, letting the bread rise to the top of the bowl.
- Like most expats, however, he tempers his fascination with some critical observations.
- Coconut milk tempers the spices of the green curry fish, so it works with the cherry, smoky plum, and other flavors in the Pinot Noir.
- Always remember, however, that sea breezes will temper the heat and might cool things considerably.
- The island's climate is semi-tropical; yearlong rainfall keeps it green; heat and humidity are tempered by soft breezes.
- The weather was just right: warm sunshine tempered by a gentle sea breeze.
- Had he tempered his love of Canadian hockey with some realism and advocated for some change, who knows what his impact could have been?
- Their peacefulness is tempered with readiness and realism.
- Young keeps a level tone throughout, tempering the tale of depredation with a dry wit.
- One difference, however, is the note of realism and levity that tempers every show.
- Expectation should be tempered by a strong dose of reality.
- Fortunately, he tempers that seriousness with the one-man show's greatest asset - humour - and shows that the best way to get through life is to learn to laugh at yourself.
- The heat of the peppers is tempered by the peanuts, the sweetness of the honey balanced by the soy sauce and the citrusy tang of the ginger complemented by the garlic.
- In the end, the film's moderately optimistic stance is tempered with a standard commentary on war and the nature of human aggression.
- What's more, protein tempers blood sugar fluctuations, preventing the spikes and crashes that can leave you hungry and drained.
- The young shoots make a pleasant vegetable, whose acidity can be tempered by the addition of a little sugar in the cooking.
- But let's temper expectancy with caution, knowing that a team is only as good, or indeed as bad, as its last outing.
Synonyms moderate, modify, modulate 3Tune (a piano or other instrument) so as to adjust the note intervals correctly. Example sentencesExamples - In tempering the piano, we narrow the fifths and widen the fourths.
- The technician is trained on tempering the piano for tuning.
Phrases keep (or lose) one's temper Refrain (or fail to refrain) from becoming angry. Example sentencesExamples - I know that both times I was wrong for blowing up and losing my temper, but it was extremely hard not to.
- He went on: ‘For some reason we shall never know why you lost your temper.’
- General Powell lost his temper and fired the gun into the air.
- I always got angry easily and would lose my temper like that.
- She is frightened at first, and then becomes angry, soon losing her temper.
- Charles exploded, losing his temper and nearly shouting at his shocked son.
- ‘I want to be left alone. ‘Leon was starting to get angry, but he had to keep his temper in check.’
- You just lost your temper with me, didn't you?
- Jennifer was getting angry at him, but she kept her temper in check.
- When teachers and parents inflict bodily punishment on children to discipline them, that means those adults themselves do not possess patience - they lose their temper.
Synonyms composure, equanimity, self-control, self-possession, sangfroid, coolness, calm, calmness, tranquillity, good humour become very angry, fly into a rage, explode, blow up, erupt, lose control, go berserk, breathe fire, begin to rant and rave, flare up, boil over
Example sentencesExamples - It was not that he was out of temper with Simon.
- A lifelong friend has never known him to be out of temper or speak ill words of others.
- He was out of temper; and he looked up with an angry scowl.
Synonyms irritable, irascible, fractious, fretful, cross, petulant, pettish, crabbed, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, disagreeable, miserable, morose, peppery, on edge, edgy, impatient, complaining, querulous
Origin Old English temprian ‘bring something into the required condition by mixing it with something else’, from Latin temperare ‘mingle, restrain’. Sense development was probably influenced by Old French temprer ‘to temper, moderate’. The noun originally denoted a proportionate mixture of elements or qualities, also the combination of the four bodily humors, believed in medieval times to be the basis of temperament, hence temper (sense 1 of the noun)( late Middle English). Compare with temperament. |