temper
a sudden outburst of anger
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,676 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 10,872 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.005% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- a sudden outburst of anger also: pique, irritation his temper sparked like damp firewood
- a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling also: mood, humor, humour whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the timehe was in a bad humor
- a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger also: biliousness, irritability, peevishness, pettishness, snappishness, surliness his temper was well known to all his employees
- the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking also: toughness
verb
- bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling also: anneal, normalize temper glass
- harden by reheating and cooling in oil also: harden temper steel
- adjust the pitch (of pianos)
- make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else also: season, mollify, moderate she tempered her criticism
temper in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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He was not above twelve years old, fair, blue-eyed, and kind in temper to every living thing.
Famous Stories Every Child Should Know · Hamilton Wright [Editor] Mabie · Chapter 1
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On the whole, Lodge's sonnets show a much more cheerful and buoyant temper than Daniel's "wailing verse."
Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Phillis - Licia · Martha Foote [Editor] Crow · Chapter 1
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They understood now the temper of their father, his perpetual irritation, and the spasms of his humor.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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The youngest, who was the slave of his passions and of a very uncertain temper, became Prince of the Air.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1
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She was peculiarly adapted for such a task, with her kind heart, her gentle firmness, her common-sense and her uniform temper.
The Dream · Émile Zola · Chapter 1