temper

/tˈɛmpɚ/ · 2 syllables

Meaning

noun

1. a sudden outburst of anger
   “his temper sparked like damp firewood”
2. a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
   “whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time”
3. a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
   “his temper was well known to all his employees”
4. the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking

verb

1. bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
   “temper glass”
2. harden by reheating and cooling in oil
   “temper steel”
3. adjust the pitch (of pianos)
4. make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else
   “she tempered her criticism”
5. change by restraining or moderating

Synonyms for temper

• pique
• irritation
• mood
• humor
• humour
• biliousness
• irritability
• peevishness
• pettishness
• snappishness
• surliness
• toughness
• anneal
• normalize
• harden
• season
• mollify
• moderate
• chasten

Words that rhyme with temper

• distemper
• kemper
• stemper
• tremper