temper

/ˈtɛmpər/
noun
  1. A person's state of mind, especially in terms of being angry or calm.
    • She has a quick temper and gets upset easily.
    • Try to keep your temper during the argument.
    • His calm temper makes him a good leader.
  2. A tendency to become angry easily.
    • Her temper flared up when she heard the news.
    • He has a bad temper when he is tired.
    • Learning to control your temper is an important skill.
  3. The degree of hardness or strength in a material, especially metal, produced by heating and cooling.
    • The blacksmith checked the temper of the steel blade.
    • Different tempers are used for different types of tools.
    • The temper of this alloy makes it very durable.
Antonyms
verb
  1. To make something less extreme or more balanced; to moderate.
    • She tempered her criticism with praise.
    • He tempered his enthusiasm with caution.
    • The judge tempered justice with mercy.
  2. To heat and cool metal or glass to make it harder or stronger.
    • Glass must be tempered slowly to prevent cracking.
    • The artisan tempered the steel in a furnace.
    • They temper the metal to increase its durability.
Synonyms