"temperamental" meaning in English

See temperamental in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˌtɛmp(ə)ɹəˈmɛntl̩/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-temperamental.wav Forms: more temperamental [comparative], most temperamental [superlative]
Rhymes: -ɛntəl Etymology: From temperament + -al. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|temperament|al}} temperament + -al Head templates: {{en-adj}} temperamental (comparative more temperamental, superlative most temperamental)
  1. (not comparable) Of, related to, or caused by temperament. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-temperamental-en-adj-T4QsbW5U
  2. Subject to changing and unpredictable emotional states; moody, capricious. Translations (emotional or moody, inconsistent): náladový (Czech), vrtošivý (Czech), temperamentsfuld (Danish), temperamenttinen (Finnish), oikutteleva (Finnish), caractériel (French), и́збувлив (ízbuvliv) (Macedonian), темпераме́нтен (temperaménten) (Macedonian), hārakiraki (Māori), hūkokikoki (Māori), temperamentsfull (Norwegian Bokmål), temperamentsfull (Norwegian Nynorsk), kapryśny (Polish), temperamentny (Polish), temperamental (Portuguese), temperamental [masculine] (Romanian), náladový (Slovak), temperamental (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-temperamental-en-adj-8x0iM5ba Disambiguation of 'emotional or moody, inconsistent': 10 77 13
  3. (of a machine or of software, figuratively) User-unfriendly, unstable, that is complicated or has poorly written instructions and is subsequently difficult to operate; unpredictable and erratic. Tags: figuratively
    Sense id: en-temperamental-en-adj-aJNV77~9 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -al, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 4 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Māori translations, Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations, Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Slovak translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Emotions, Personality Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 22 11 67 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -al: 18 26 56 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 20 19 61 Disambiguation of Pages with 4 entries: 17 11 54 5 13 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 19 6 56 3 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 14 24 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 15 13 72 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 21 61 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 17 24 59 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 14 24 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Māori translations: 15 19 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations: 18 23 59 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations: 17 8 76 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 18 25 58 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 13 26 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 17 21 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Slovak translations: 14 24 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 16 17 67 Disambiguation of Emotions: 16 6 78 Disambiguation of Personality: 0 0 100
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: temperamentally

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "temperamentally"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "temperament",
        "3": "al"
      },
      "expansion": "temperament + -al",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From temperament + -al.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more temperamental",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most temperamental",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "temperamental (comparative more temperamental, superlative most temperamental)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of, related to, or caused by temperament."
      ],
      "id": "en-temperamental-en-adj-T4QsbW5U",
      "links": [
        [
          "temperament",
          "temperament"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(not comparable) Of, related to, or caused by temperament."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Subject to changing and unpredictable emotional states; moody, capricious."
      ],
      "id": "en-temperamental-en-adj-8x0iM5ba",
      "links": [
        [
          "changing",
          "changing"
        ],
        [
          "unpredictable",
          "unpredictable"
        ],
        [
          "emotional",
          "emotional"
        ],
        [
          "state",
          "state"
        ],
        [
          "moody",
          "moody"
        ],
        [
          "capricious",
          "capricious"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "náladový"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "vrtošivý"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "lang_code": "da",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamentsfuld"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamenttinen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "oikutteleva"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "caractériel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "lang_code": "mk",
          "roman": "ízbuvliv",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "и́збувлив"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "lang_code": "mk",
          "roman": "temperaménten",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "темпераме́нтен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "hārakiraki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "hūkokikoki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "lang_code": "nb",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamentsfull"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "lang_code": "nn",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamentsfull"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "kapryśny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamentny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamental"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "lang_code": "ro",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "temperamental"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "lang_code": "sk",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "náladový"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 77 13",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
          "word": "temperamental"
        }
      ]
    },
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 6 78",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Emotions",
          "orig": "en:Emotions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 0 100",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Personality",
          "orig": "en:Personality",
          "parents": [],
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "User-unfriendly, unstable, that is complicated or has poorly written instructions and is subsequently difficult to operate; unpredictable and erratic."
      ],
      "id": "en-temperamental-en-adj-aJNV77~9",
      "links": [
        [
          "machine",
          "machine"
        ],
        [
          "software",
          "software"
        ],
        [
          "User-unfriendly",
          "user-unfriendly"
        ],
        [
          "unstable",
          "unstable"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "instruction",
          "instruction"
        ],
        [
          "operate",
          "operate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of a machine or of software, figuratively) User-unfriendly, unstable, that is complicated or has poorly written instructions and is subsequently difficult to operate; unpredictable and erratic."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a machine or of software"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌtɛmp(ə)ɹəˈmɛntl̩/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-temperamental.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-temperamental.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-temperamental.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-temperamental.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-temperamental.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntəl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "temperamental"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms suffixed with -al",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntəl/4 syllables",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntəl/5 syllables",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Macedonian translations",
    "Terms with Māori translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Slovak translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Emotions",
    "en:Personality"
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  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "temperamentally"
    }
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "temperament",
        "3": "al"
      },
      "expansion": "temperament + -al",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From temperament + -al.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more temperamental",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most temperamental",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
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  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of, related to, or caused by temperament."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "temperament",
          "temperament"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(not comparable) Of, related to, or caused by temperament."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Subject to changing and unpredictable emotional states; moody, capricious."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "changing",
          "changing"
        ],
        [
          "unpredictable",
          "unpredictable"
        ],
        [
          "emotional",
          "emotional"
        ],
        [
          "state",
          "state"
        ],
        [
          "moody",
          "moody"
        ],
        [
          "capricious",
          "capricious"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "User-unfriendly, unstable, that is complicated or has poorly written instructions and is subsequently difficult to operate; unpredictable and erratic."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "machine",
          "machine"
        ],
        [
          "software",
          "software"
        ],
        [
          "User-unfriendly",
          "user-unfriendly"
        ],
        [
          "unstable",
          "unstable"
        ],
        [
          "complicated",
          "complicated"
        ],
        [
          "instruction",
          "instruction"
        ],
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          "operate",
          "operate"
        ]
      ],
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        "(of a machine or of software, figuratively) User-unfriendly, unstable, that is complicated or has poorly written instructions and is subsequently difficult to operate; unpredictable and erratic."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a machine or of software"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
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  "sounds": [
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntəl"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "náladový"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "vrtošivý"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "lang_code": "da",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamentsfuld"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamenttinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "oikutteleva"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "caractériel"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "lang_code": "mk",
      "roman": "ízbuvliv",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "и́збувлив"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "lang_code": "mk",
      "roman": "temperaménten",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "темпераме́нтен"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "hārakiraki"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "hūkokikoki"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "lang_code": "nb",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamentsfull"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "lang_code": "nn",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamentsfull"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "kapryśny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamentny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamental"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "temperamental"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "lang_code": "sk",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "náladový"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "emotional or moody, inconsistent",
      "word": "temperamental"
    }
  ],
  "word": "temperamental"
}

Download raw JSONL data for temperamental meaning in English (5.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-14 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-02-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 59dc20b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.