# temperamental

/ˌtɛmpɝˈmɛntəɫ/ (US) · /tˌɛmpɹəmˈɛntəl/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/temperamental
Updated: 2026-05-28

## Definition

describing someone who changes their mood or feelings very quickly, or a machine that breaks down easily. You use this for people who are moody or for things that are not reliable.

For teachers: prone to sudden, unpredictable changes in mood or behavior; alternatively, describing a machine or device that is unreliable or prone to failure. Often used to describe children or mechanical systems.

## Examples

- The old car is very temperamental and breaks down often.
- The toddler was in a temperamental mood all morning, refusing to eat his breakfast or play with his toys.
- While the software is powerful, it remains temperamental on older hardware, often crashing during the initial rendering phase of complex projects.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.