Standard Lemma guide

temperamental

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌtɛmp(ə)ɹəˈmɛntl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛntəl
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH2 M P R AH0 M EH1 N T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: T EH2 M P ER0 M EH1 N T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, related to, or caused by temperament.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Subject to changing and unpredictable emotional states; moody, capricious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

User-unfriendly, unstable, that is complicated or has poorly written instructions and is subsequently difficult to operate; unpredictable and erratic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

relating to or caused by temperament

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • temperamental indifference to neatness
  • temperamental peculiarities

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

likely to perform unpredictably- Osbert Lancaster

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • erratic winds are the bane of a sailor
  • a temperamental motor; sometimes it would start and sometimes it wouldn't
  • that beautiful but temperamental instrument the flute

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: erratic

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

subject to sharply varying moods

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a temperamental opera singer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: moody

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From temperament + -al.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: náladový — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Czech: vrtošivý — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Danish: temperamentsfuld — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Finnish: temperamenttinen — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Finnish: oikutteleva — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • French: caractériel — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Macedonian: и́збувлив (ízbuvliv) — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Macedonian: темпераме́нтен (temperaménten) — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Māori: hārakiraki — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Māori: hūkokikoki — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Norwegian Bokmål: temperamentsfull — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: temperamentsfull — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Polish: kapryśny — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Polish: temperamentny — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Portuguese: temperamental — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Romanian: temperamental — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Slovak: náladový — emotional or moody, inconsistent
  • Spanish: temperamental — emotional or moody, inconsistent