TEMPER
| Pronunciation (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does temper mean?
• TEMPER (noun)
The noun TEMPER has 4 senses:
1. a sudden outburst of anger
2. a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
3. a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
4. the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
Familiarity information: TEMPER used as a noun is uncommon.
• TEMPER (verb)
The verb TEMPER has 5 senses:
1. toughen (steel or glass) by a process of gradually heating and cooling
2. harden by reheating and cooling in oil
3. adjust the pitch (of pianos)
4. make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
5. restrain or temper
Familiarity information: TEMPER used as a verb is common.
Dictionary entry details
• TEMPER (noun)
Meaning:
A sudden outburst of anger
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
temper; irritation; pique
Context example:
his temper sparked like damp firewood
Hypernyms ("temper" is a kind of...):
annoyance; chafe; vexation (anger produced by some annoying irritation)
Meaning:
A characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
mood; humour; temper; humor
Context examples:
whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time / he was in a bad humor
Hypernyms ("temper" is a kind of...):
feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "temper"):
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)
Meaning:
A disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
pettishness; snappishness; surliness; biliousness; peevishness; temper; irritability
Context example:
his temper was well known to all his employees
Hypernyms ("temper" is a kind of...):
ill nature (a disagreeable, irritable, or malevolent disposition)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "temper"):
querulousness (the quality of being given to complaining)
Meaning:
The elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
toughness; temper
Hypernyms ("temper" is a kind of...):
elasticity; snap (the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed)
• TEMPER (verb)
Meaning:
Toughen (steel or glass) by a process of gradually heating and cooling
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
anneal; temper; normalize
Context example:
temper glass
Hypernyms (to "temper" is one way to...):
toughen (make tough or tougher)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Harden by reheating and cooling in oil
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
temper; harden
Context example:
temper steel
Hypernyms (to "temper" is one way to...):
modify (make less severe or harsh or extreme)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Adjust the pitch (of pianos)
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "temper" is one way to...):
adjust; correct; set (alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
mollify; season; temper
Context example:
she tempered her criticism
Hypernyms (to "temper" is one way to...):
weaken (lessen the strength of)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Restrain or temper
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
chasten; temper; moderate
Hypernyms (to "temper" is one way to...):
alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
