temperament

/ˈtɛmpərəmənt/

/ˈtɛmprəmənt/

Other forms: temperaments

While a mood can change, your temperament is your overall tone most of the time. Just like dogs, people have temperaments: some are aggressive; some are playful; and some are just happy to carry your slippers.

Just as a temperature gives a reading of how hot or cold something is, your temperament gives a reading of your disposition, or general outlook. Some folks with optimistic temperaments see that glass as half full; other more pessimistic folks see it as half empty. And there are still others who prefer to drink straight from the bottle.

Definitions of temperament

1. noun

   your usual mood
   synonyms: disposition

   types:

   aloneness, loneliness, lonesomeness, solitariness

   a disposition toward being alone

   animalism, physicality

   preoccupation with satisfaction of physical drives and appetites

   bloodiness, bloodthirstiness

   a disposition to shed blood

   heart, spirit

   an inclination or tendency of a certain kind

   nervousness

   a sensitive or highly strung temperament

   esprit de corps, morale, team spirit

   the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed

   moodiness

   having temperamental and changeable moods

   blood

   temperament or disposition

   perfectionism

   a disposition to feel that anything less than perfect is unacceptable

   permissiveness, tolerance

   a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior

   restrictiveness, unpermissiveness

   a lack of permissiveness or indulgence and a tendency to confine behavior within certain specified limits

   good nature

   a cheerful, obliging disposition

   agreeability, agreeableness

   a temperamental disposition to be agreeable

   ill nature

   a disagreeable, irritable, or malevolent disposition

   disagreeableness

   an ill-tempered and offensive disposition

   willingness

   cheerful compliance

   involuntariness, unwillingness

   the trait of being unwilling

   friendliness

   a friendly disposition

   unsociability, unsociableness

   an unsociable disposition; avoiding friendship or companionship

   unfriendliness

   an unfriendly disposition

   calm, calmness, composure, equanimity

   steadiness of mind under stress

   discomposure

   a temperament that is perturbed and lacking in composure

   optimism

   a general disposition to expect the best in all things

   pessimism

   a general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect the worst in all things

   epicurism

   the disposition and habits of an epicure

   gourmandism

   the disposition and habits of a gourmand

   introversion

   (psychology) an introverted disposition; concern with one's own thoughts and feelings

   friendlessness

   being without friends

   reclusiveness

   a disposition to prefer seclusion or isolation

   queasiness, restlessness, uneasiness

   inability to rest or relax or be still

   restiveness, skittishness

   characterized by nervousness and quickness to take fright

   acceptance, sufferance, toleration

   a disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations

   indulgence, lenience, leniency

   a disposition to yield to the wishes of someone

   overtolerance

   too much permissiveness

   sternness, strictness

   uncompromising resolution

   good will, goodwill, grace

   a disposition to kindness and compassion

   forbearance, longanimity, patience

   good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence

   easygoingness

   being without worry or concern

   risibility

   a disposition to laugh

   complaisance, compliance, compliancy, deference, obligingness

   a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others

   crabbedness, crabbiness, crossness

   a disposition to be ill-tempered

   contrariness, crankiness, crotchetiness, grumpiness

   a fussy and eccentric disposition

   moroseness, sourness, sulkiness, sullenness

   a sullen moody resentful disposition

   biliousness, irritability, peevishness, pettishness, snappishness, surliness, temper

   a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger

   impatience

   a dislike of anything that causes delay

   shrewishness

   a nature given to nagging or scolding

   asperity, sharpness

   harshness of manner

   acerbity, acrimony, bitterness, jaundice, tartness, thorniness

   a rough and bitter manner

   aggressiveness, belligerence, pugnacity

   a natural disposition to be hostile

   contentiousness, quarrelsomeness

   an inclination to be quarrelsome and contentious

   eagerness, forwardness, readiness, zeal

   prompt willingness

   openness, receptiveness, receptivity

   willingness or readiness to receive (especially impressions or ideas)

   wholeheartedness

   undivided commitment or unreserved enthusiasm

   disinclination, hesitancy, hesitation, indisposition, reluctance

   a certain degree of unwillingness

   resistance

   (psychiatry) an unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness

   affability, affableness, amiability, amiableness, bonhomie, geniality

   a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)

   amicability, amicableness

   having a disposition characterized by warmth and friendliness

   closeness, familiarity, intimacy

   close or warm friendship

   accessibility, approachability

   the attribute of being easy to meet or deal with

   congeniality

   a congenial disposition

   amity, cordiality

   a cordial disposition

   good-neighborliness, good-neighbourliness, neighborliness, neighbourliness

   a disposition to be friendly and helpful to neighbors

   hospitableness

   having a disposition that welcomes guests and is fond of entertaining

   aloofness, remoteness, standoffishness, withdrawnness

   a disposition to be distant and unsympathetic in manner

   closeness, secretiveness

   characterized by a lack of openness (especially about one's actions or purposes)

   hostility, ill will

   a hostile (very unfriendly) disposition

   aggression

   a disposition to behave aggressively

   misanthropy

   a disposition to dislike and mistrust other people

   uncongeniality

   a disposition not to be congenial

   unneighborliness

   an unneighborly disposition

   inhospitableness

   having an unfriendly and inhospitable disposition

   helpfulness, kindliness

   friendliness evidence by a kindly and helpful disposition

   aplomb, assuredness, cool, poise, sang-froid

   great coolness and composure under strain

   placidity, quiet, repose, serenity, tranquility, tranquillity

   a disposition free from stress or emotion

   disquiet, unease, uneasiness

   the trait of seeming ill at ease

   fluster, perturbation

   a disposition that is confused or nervous and upset

   affirmativeness

   the agreeable quality of one who assents

   type of:

   nature

   the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions
2. noun

   excessive emotionalism or irritability and excitability (especially when displayed openly)
   type of:

   emotionalism, emotionality

   emotional nature or quality
3. noun

   an adjustment of the intervals (as in tuning a keyboard instrument) so that the scale can be used to play in different keys
   types:

   equal temperament

   the division of the scale based on an octave that is divided into twelve exactly equal semitones

   type of:

   adjustment, readjustment, registration

   the act of adjusting something to match a standard