temper

noun

/ˈtempə(r)/

/ˈtempər/

Idioms

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[countable, usually singular, uncountable] if somebody has a temper, they become angry very easily
- to have a fiery/hot/violent temper
- He must learn to control his temper.
- After an hour of waiting, tempers began to fray (= people began to get angry).
Extra Examples
- He has a nasty temper.
- He had to learn to keep his temper under control before he could become a teacher.
- Frayed tempers at the end of the match led to three players being sent off.
- Tempers flared as the traffic jam became worse.
Topics Feelingsb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bad
- explosive
- fierce
- …
… of temper
- display
- fit
- flash
- …
verb + temper
- have
- control
- keep
- …
temper + verb
- flare
- rise
- cool
- …
temper + noun
- tantrum
preposition
- in a temper
phrases
- keep your temper in check
- keep your temper under control
See full entry
[countable, usually singular, uncountable] a short period of feeling very angry
- in a temper She says awful things when she's in a temper.
- He stormed out of the room in a temper.
- to fly into a temper
- She broke the plates in a fit of temper.
- Some small children have terrible temper tantrums.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bad
- explosive
- fierce
- …
… of temper
- display
- fit
- flash
- …
verb + temper
- have
- control
- keep
- …
temper + verb
- flare
- rise
- cool
- …
temper + noun
- tantrum
preposition
- in a temper
phrases
- keep your temper in check
- keep your temper under control
See full entry
[countable] the way that you are feeling at a particular time synonym mood
- in a… temper Come back when you're in a better temper.
- to be in a bad/foul temper
Extra Examples
- She regained her good temper after a chat.
- Peter's comments were responsible for her ill temper.
- I wasn't in the best of tempers when I arrived at the meeting.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bad
- filthy
- foul
- …
verb + temper
- improve
temper + verb
- improve
- fray
preposition
- in a temper
See full entry
-tempered
(in adjectives) having a particular type of temper
- good-/bad-tempered
- a sweet-tempered child
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bad
- filthy
- foul
- …
verb + temper
- improve
temper + verb
- improve
- fray
preposition
- in a temper
See full entry

Word OriginOld 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 senses (1) to (3) (late Middle English). Compare with temperament.

Idioms

have a quick/short temper

to become angry easily see also quick-tempered, short-temperedTopics Feelingsc2

lose/keep your temper (with somebody)

to fail/manage to control your anger
- She lost her temper with a customer and shouted at him.
- I struggle to keep my temper with the kids when they misbehave.
Extra Examples
- She loses her temper easily.
- I only just managed to keep my temper with him.

temper

verb

/ˈtempə(r)/

/ˈtempər/

[usually passive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they temper	/ˈtempə(r)/ /ˈtempər/
he / she / it tempers	/ˈtempəz/ /ˈtempərz/
past simple tempered	/ˈtempəd/ /ˈtempərd/
past participle tempered	/ˈtempəd/ /ˈtempərd/
-ing form tempering	/ˈtempərɪŋ/ /ˈtempərɪŋ/

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(formal) to make something less severe by adding something that has the opposite effect
- be tempered with something Justice must be tempered with mercy.
- be tempered by something The hot sunny days were tempered by a light breeze.
- His delight was tempered by regret.
(specialist) to make metal as hard as it needs to be by heating and then cooling it
- be tempered The blade is hardened and tempered so that it resists damage.
- tempered steel