- temper
- [[t]te̱mpə(r)[/t]]
tempers, tempering, tempered1) N-VAR If you refer to someone's temper or say that they have a temper, you mean that they become angry very easily.
He had a temper and could be nasty...
His short temper had become notorious...
I hope he can control his temper.
2) N-VAR: with supp, oft adj N, oft in N Your temper is the way you are feeling at a particular time. If you are in a good temper, you feel cheerful. If you are in a bad temper, you feel angry and impatient.I was in a bad temper last night...
He was in a very good temper...
In a fit of bad temper, Dougie threw the deep fat fryer overboard.
Syn:3) VERB To temper something means to make it less extreme. [FORMAL][V n with n] For others, especially the young and foolish, the state will temper justice with mercy...
[V n] He had to learn to temper his enthusiasm.
4) PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v If someone is in a temper or gets into a temper, the way that they are behaving shows that they are feeling angry and impatient.She was still in a temper when Colin arrived...
When I try to explain how I feel he just flies into a temper.
Syn:in a rage5) PHRASE: V inflects If you lose your temper, you become so angry that you shout at someone or show in some other way that you are no longer in control of yourself.I've never seen him get cross or lose his temper...
I lost my temper and banged my book down on the desk.
English dictionary. 2008.
