Meaning & use
temperamental
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Prone to sudden, unpredictable changes of mood and easily upset or angered.
Grammar: Describes a person or animal: a temperamental singer.
Patterns
- temperamental about something
The star was famously temperamental and walked off the set twice.
My cat is temperamental and bites when she is bored.
Our new coach is talented but temperamental.
adjectivecomparableinformal
Working unreliably, so that performance cannot be counted on from one day to the next.
Grammar: Describes a machine or system: a temperamental engine.
Patterns
- a temperamental machine
The old printer is temperamental and jams at random.
A temperamental oven ruined the cake again.
The Wi-Fi in this building is temperamental.
adjectivebefore a nounformalrare
Relating to a person's natural temperament or inborn character.
Grammar: Rare and formal; it describes traits, not moods.
Patterns
- temperamental differences
Their temperamental differences made the partnership hard.
The study looked at temperamental traits in infants.
Temperamental factors may explain why twins react differently.
Common combinations
- temperamental artist
- The temperamental artist canceled the show an hour before it opened.
- temperamental engine
- A temperamental engine left us stranded again.
- a bit temperamental
- The espresso machine is a bit temperamental in cold weather.
- notoriously temperamental
- Sourdough starter is notoriously temperamental.
- temperamental child
- The temperamental child refused to wear shoes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moody
- Moody stresses changes in feeling and need not mean angry outbursts, whereas temperamental often implies fussy or explosive behavior.
- volatile
- Volatile is stronger and suggests a risk of sudden anger or danger.
- unreliable
- Unreliable applies to anything that cannot be trusted but does not suggest moods.
- capricious
- Capricious is formal and suggests whims that change without reason.
Opposites
Word family
- temperament noun
- a person's natural disposition
- temperamentally adverb
- in a way related to one's temperament
- temper noun
- a tendency to get angry
Commonly confused: temperamental or temperate?
temperamental vs temperate
Temperate means mild and moderate, as in weather or behavior, which is almost the opposite of temperamental.
Practice
The vintage elevator is ____, working perfectly one day and stalling the next.
Choose one answer.
Temperamental describes something that works unpredictably. Temperate means mild, and temporary means short-lived.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “temperamental”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.