English · Word Candidate

temper

/ˈtɛmpə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: tempers · tempering · tempered

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A general tendency or orientation towards a certain type of mood, a volatile state; a habitual way of thinking, behaving or reacting.

Noun

Examples

to have a good, bad, or calm temper

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

State of mind; mood.

Noun

Examples

Remember with what mild / And gracious temper he both heard and judg’d / Without wrauth or reviling;

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To moderate or control.

Verb

Examples

Temper your language around children.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To strengthen or toughen a material, especially metal, by heat treatment; anneal.

Verb

Examples

Tempering is a heat treatment technique applied to metals, alloys, and glass to achieve greater toughness by increasing the strength of materials and/or ductility. Tempering is performed by a controlled reheating of the work piece to a temperature below its lower eutectic critical temperature.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “temper” mean?

A general tendency or orientation towards a certain type of mood, a volatile state; a habitual way of thinking, behaving or reacting.

Is “temper” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.