Definition
Likely to have unpredictable mood swings or emotional outbursts; also describes equipment that is unreliable and often breaks down.
Etymology
From Latin 'temperamentum' (a blending of qualities), which comes from 'temperare' (to mix in proper proportions). Medieval medicine used 'temperament' to describe the balance of four bodily humors thought to determine personality.
Kelly Says
Ancient doctors believed your personality type was determined by which bodily fluid dominated your system—too much blood made you sanguine, too much black bile made you melancholic. 'Temperamental' literally means 'ruled by your temperament,' which is why we still use it to describe moody, unpredictable people.
Translations
ARالعربية
مُشْتَغِلٌ عاطفياً
mush-tagh-il-un-i-a-t-fee-an
BNবাংলা
প্রবৃত্তিশীল
pro-britt-eeshil
CACatalà
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
CSČeština
temperamentní
tem-peh-rah-men-t-nee
DADansk
temperamentalt
tem-peh-rah-men-tal-t
DEDeutsch
temperamentvoll
tem-peh-rah-men-t-voll
ELΕλληνικά
αισθηματικά
ais-the-ma-ti-ka
ESEspañol
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
FAفارسی
جنونآمیز
je-noo-na-a-mee-z
FISuomi
temperamenttinen
tem-peh-rah-men-tin-en
FRFrançais
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
GUGU
તેમ્પરમેન્ટલ
teh-mpeh-rah-men-tal
HAHA
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
HIहिन्दी
भावनात्मक
bha-va-na-at-mak
HUMagyar
temperamentális
tem-peh-rah-men-ta-lis
IDBahasa Indonesia
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
IGIG
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
ITItaliano
temperamentale
tem-peh-rah-men-tale
JA日本語
気質が激しい
ki-shitsu ga ha-gee-shii
KKKK
темперментті
tem-peh-rah-ment-ti
KO한국어
성격이 변덕스럽다
seong-gyeok-i byeon-deok-seul-peu-da
MRMR
तेमॅपरेमेंटल
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
MSBahasa Melayu
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
MYမြန်မာ
စိတ်ကြောင့်
seet-kya-wht
NLNederlands
temperament
tem-peh-rah-ment
NONorsk
temperamentfull
tem-peh-rah-men-tul
PAPA
ਤੇਮ્ਪરેਮੈਂਟલ
teh-mpeh-rah-men-tal
PLPolski
temperamentalny
tem-peh-rah-men-tal-ny
PTPortuguês
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
RORomână
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
RUРусский
темпераментный
tem-peh-rah-men-t-nyy
SVSvenska
temperamentfull
tem-peh-rah-men-tul
SWKiswahili
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
TAதமிழ்
உணர்ச்சிவசப்பட்ட
u-n-ar-shi-va-sat-ta
TEతెలుగు
భావోద్వేగ적인
bha-vo-ud-ve-ga-je-en
THไทย
อารมณ์รุนแรง
a-rom-nuan run-raeng
TLTL
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
TRTürkçe
duygusal
duyg-suh-al
UKУкраїнська
темпераментний
tem-peh-rah-men-t-niy
VITiếng Việt
nổi loạn
noy-lo-an
YOYO
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
ZUZU
temperamental
tem-peh-rah-men-tal
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Historically coded feminine; applied to women's mood variability with medicalized undertone (linking emotion to menstrual cycles). Applied to men, means artistic sensitivity.
Inclusive Usage
Use for all genders equally. Prefer specific language: 'sensitive to conditions,' 'responsive to variables,' or 'volatile under pressure.'
Inclusive Alternatives
["sensitive","volatile","responsive","moody"]
Empowerment Note
Women's emotional range was pathologized via 'temperamental'—reclaim precision by describing actual conditions, not gendered character.