temperamental

[tem-per-uh-men-tl, -pruh-men-, -per-men-] / ˌtɛm pər əˈmɛn tl, -prəˈmɛn-, -pərˈmɛn- /

ADJECTIVE

moody; irritable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

capricious erratic excitable fickle headstrong high-strung impatient irritable mercurial moody ornery passionate petulant thin-skinned unpredictable unreliable unstable volatile

WEAK

changeable cussed easily upset emotional explosive fiery froward hotheaded hyper hypersensitive in bad mood inconsistent mean neurotic sensitive ticklish touchy uncertain undependable variable willful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm constant dependable easygoing happy laid-back predictable reliable stable steadfast steady tolerant unchanging unvarying

WEAK

peaceful pleased

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"But young stars are so extremely spotty, active, and temperamental, that the Doppler method is a non-starter."

From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026

Netflix has appealed to investors over the past decade precisely because it has been able to focus on streaming without the baggage of managing a declining cable-TV business and dealing with a temperamental theatrical market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

The temperamental 2022 Wimbledon finalist, one of tennis's most dynamic players when at the top of his game, makes his comeback at the season-opening Brisbane International.

From Barron's • Jan. 3, 2026

Writer-director Lotfy Nathan’s inspiration is an apocryphal 2nd century text called the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, which purports to describe the incident-filled childhood of a temperamental Jesus.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

I decided to make some coffee, to warm us up, and the stove proved equally temperamental.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Vocabulary lists containing temperamental

Into the Wild

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The Lightning Thief

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This Week In Culture, April 26–May 2, 2020

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