Temper
/ˈtɛmpər/
nounverbB2
Definition
As a noun, temper is the usual way someone feels, especially how quickly they get angry or calm. It can mean a short moment of anger or a general mood. As a verb, temper means to make something less strong or extreme by adding something else, often to make it better or more balanced.
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See It in Action
Noun: A person's usual mood, especially how easily they get angry
- •She has a quick temper and gets angry easily.
- •Try to keep your temper when you are upset.
- •His temper improved after he learned to relax more.
Noun: A short angry moment or outburst
- •He lost his temper when the computer stopped working.
- •Don't lose your temper over small problems.
Verb: To make something less strong or extreme by adding balance
- •The chef tempered the spicy sauce with cream.
- •You should temper your criticism with some praise.
- •The cold weather tempered the heat of the fire.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "temper" like "mood" (A1 word), but mostly about how calm or angry someone is
- ✓Picture a pot of hot soup that can boil over (anger) or cool down (calm) — temper is how hot or calm it is inside
- ✓It's the feeling when you try hard not to lose your patience or get angry when something annoys you
- ✓Sounds like "temper" → imagine a "temp" worker trying to keep things steady and calm at work
- ✓Think of the story of the "temper tantrum" — a sudden burst of anger a child might have
- ✓NOT like "anger" (which is strong and active), temper can be calm or angry mood or the control of anger
- ✓NOT like "mood" (which can be happy, sad, or other feelings), temper mostly talks about calmness or anger
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "break" or "destroy" — temper means to improve or soften something, like mixing cold water in hot tea
Try Other Words
- •Disposition: a person's usual mood or character (more formal, use in writing or when talking about personality)
- •Attitude: a way of thinking or feeling (use when talking about opinions or feelings, less about anger)
- •Moderate: to make something less extreme or strong (use when talking about reducing something's intensity)
- •Control: to manage or keep something in check (use when talking about managing emotions or actions)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "temper" (whole root word, no prefix or suffix)
- •Etymology: From Latin "temperare" meaning to mix in proportion, to control, or to regulate
- •Historical development: Originally meant to mix or blend parts in the right amount; later used for controlling emotions or qualities
- •Modern usage: Used for mood or anger (noun) and for balancing or controlling something (verb)
- •Interesting fact: The word is also used in metalwork, where "to temper" metal means to make it stronger by heating and cooling it carefully
Reflect & Connect
•How does your own temper affect the way you react to difficult situations?
•Can you think of times when it is important to temper your feelings or actions? Why?
Fill in the blanks
1.When he got bad news, he tried hard to keep his temper ___ and not get angry.
2.The teacher told the students not to lose their temper ___ small mistakes.
3.The chef tempered the sauce by adding ___ to reduce the spiciness.
4.A person with a calm temper usually reacts to stress ___ than someone with a quick temper.
5.To make the metal stronger, blacksmiths temper it by heating and then ___ it.
6.She lost her temper ___ when the meeting did not go as planned.
7.When giving feedback, it is good to temper criticism ___ some positive comments.