temperamental meaning

UK US /ˌtɛmprəˈmɛntəl/ 4 syllables

temperamental (adjective): relating to or caused by temperament.

temperamental has 3 meanings in this dictionary.

temperamental as an adjective

  1. relating to or caused by temperament
    • temperamental indifference to neatness
    • temperamental peculiarities

    Related forms: temperament

  2. subject to sharply varying moods
    • a temperamental opera singer

    Synonyms: moody

    Similar: emotional

    Related forms: temperament

  3. likely to perform unpredictably
    • 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

    Synonyms: erratic

    Similar: unreliable

How to pronounce temperamental

temperamental is pronounced /ˌtɛmprəˈmɛntəl/ in American English. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the third syllable.

Words that rhyme with temperamental

Scrabble score: 19 (letter breakdown)

Word lists: words starting with TE · words ending in AL · 13-letter words

More about temperamental on Wikipedia.