Word of the Day: Temper
A person’s temper is a measure of his or her ability to remain calm when experiencing any kind of difficulty. A person who gets mad easily has a bad temper. To have a temper is considered to be a negative personality trait. This word is a noun. (You would never say that a person has a good temper.)
- Our supervisor has a bad temper. He gets angry at the smallest problems.
- What a temper!
- He has to learn to control his temper.
- Reggie has quite a temper. Be careful around him.
- Isabel threw a temper tantrum. She lay on the floor of the store and cried until her mother picked her up. (Temper tantrums are common among children but adults have them, too. A temper tantrum is an expression of anger and a loss of self control.)
- A woman going through the drive-thru at McDonalds had a temper tantrum because she was unable to get an order of chicken McNuggets.
- People who work at call centers occasionally have to deal with customers who throw temper tantrums over the phone.
The word “temperament” is also a noun. We use this word when talking about a person’s general behavior. In this case, you can say that a person has a good temperament.
- Everyone feels that Bob has the right temperament to be a good doctor.
- Janice lacks the temperament that her job requires.
- Our dog has a good temperament. She behaves well. She’s quiet, and she doesn’t bite.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with T page to see the list of all words starting with letter T. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
