temper 1 of 2

Definition of tempernext
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temper

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word temper distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of temper are character, disposition, personality, and temperament. While all these words mean "the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group," temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations.

a resilient temper

When might character be a better fit than temper?

The meanings of character and temper largely overlap; however, character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.

strength of character

When could disposition be used to replace temper?

The words disposition and temper can be used in similar contexts, but disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one.

a cheerful disposition

When is it sensible to use personality instead of temper?

While the synonyms personality and temper are close in meaning, personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person.

a somber personality

In what contexts can temperament take the place of temper?

Although the words temperament and temper have much in common, temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization.

an artistic temperament

How is the word temper distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of temper are character, disposition, personality, and temperament. While all these words mean "the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group," temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations.

a resilient temper

When might character be a better fit than temper?

The meanings of character and temper largely overlap; however, character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.

strength of character

When could disposition be used to replace temper?

The words disposition and temper can be used in similar contexts, but disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one.

a cheerful disposition

When is it sensible to use personality instead of temper?

While the synonyms personality and temper are close in meaning, personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person.

a somber personality

In what contexts can temperament take the place of temper?

Although the words temperament and temper have much in common, temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization.

an artistic temperament

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of temper
Noun
Thursday’s hearings are Kennedy’s first since a heated Senate Finance Committee appearance in September, where tempers rose as Kennedy defended his firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez. Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 16 Apr. 2026 OpenAI has moved to temper expectations of its spending plans as a potential IPO looms this year. Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
Cheng was elected as party chairwoman late last year following a campaign that emphasized the need to temper the island’s provocations against the Communist regime. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026 Early reviews suggest fans may want to temper their expectations on the beer front. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for temper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temper
Noun
  • Collecting is one of the best ways to up your home’s dec-aura, according to designer Zoë Feldman, the creative force behind Rachel Brosnahan’s Manhattan apartment, among other high-scoring projects.
    Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Despite its aura of success, Abraaj had suffered years of operating losses, and its revenues were outweighed by bloated costs.
    Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The Nuremberg rallies were simply political stage plays, with music from Wagner, drums, symmetrical marching formations, red flags, and gatherings often held in darkness to heighten the mood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • But then comes Mother Mary, and the mood changes as if someone had dimmed the lights in the theater without warning.
    Maddalena Gomez, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Teams have also reportedly questioned his temperament — something that became part of his flashy on-field persona over the past couple of seasons.
    Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Staff remembered him for his calm temperament, distinctive mane and loud roar — as well as a goofy streak, the zoo said.
    Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The system will form the backbone of a long-term partnership between FAU and D-Wave, which provides both annealing and gate-model quantum computing platforms.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The glass sheets spend 45 minutes in a machine called an annealing oven cooling to around 200 degrees.
    Christine Tannous, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But research has shown that several metabolic and heart diseases impair the immune system’s ability to moderate inflammation—causing harmful levels of inflammation in response to high cholesterol, fat or glucose.
    Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The session will be moderated by Schneider.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The atmosphere is one of discontent and distraction.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
  • This outdoor venue, with a floor pit and seating for over 16,000 guests, offers an electric atmosphere.
    Annika Trost, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • There was more spirit, resilience and fight against Roberto De Zerbi’s side than Wolves had displayed in the second half of the 4-0 defeat at West Ham and almost the entirety of the 3-0 reverse at Leeds United.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Burke has rare size at nearly 6-foot-9, and a nasty disposition to match.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The survey presented over 1,500 American adults in a nationally representative sample with the definitions of six legal methods of disposition in a random order.
    Tanya D. Marsh, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Temper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temper. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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