temperamental

/ˌtemprəˈmentl/ (bre, ipa) · [tˌɛmprəmˈɛntəl] /ˌtemprəˈmentl/ (ame, ipa) · [tˌɛmprəmˈɛntəl] /ˌtem-p(ə-)rə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce temperamental (audio) ˌtem-pər-ˈmen-/ (ame, mw)

temperamental — 形容詞

  • temperamentalpositive
  • more temperamentalcomparative
  • most temperamentalsuperlative

1. A temperamental person's mood can shift very quickly and for no clear reason — t

1.形容詞B2
釋義

喜怒無常

情緒突然變化的

A temperamental person's mood can shift very quickly and for no clear reason — they may be calm one moment and angry, upset, or excited the next, making it hard for others to predict their reactions.

例句

When Dahlia has not had enough sleep, she becomes rather temperamental and snaps at everyone around her.

Dahlia 睡眠不足時會變得相當喜怒無常，對周圍的人發脾氣。

become + temperamental + when [trigger]

The director's temperamental behaviour confused the crew — he praised their work one day and shouted at them the next.

那位導演喜怒無常的行為讓劇組人員一頭霧水——前一天他才誇獎大家的工作，隔天卻對他們大吼大叫。

temperamental behaviour: contrast pattern

同義詞
  • moody

    more common in everyday speech; focuses on being in a bad mood rather than any sudden switch

  • volatile

    stronger; implies a potentially dangerous or explosive change in mood

  • mercurial

    more formal and literary; suggests quick, surprising changes

  • erratic

    broader — can describe behaviour, not just mood; does not carry the emotional charge

反義詞
  • even-tempered

    describes someone who stays calm and does not get angry or upset easily

  • stable

    broad opposite; describes a person whose mood does not change suddenly

文法句型

temperamental + about + noun/gerund (trigger)

get/become + temperamental

用法筆記

Commonly describes people whose mood changes are seen as part of their personality rather than a reaction to a specific situation. The person is often difficult for others to deal with because of this unpredictability.

常見錯誤

❌He temperamental when he is tired.
✅He is temperamental when he is tired.
💡'temperamental' is an adjective and needs a linking verb like 'is' or 'becomes'.
❌The weather has been temperamental lately.' (for unpredictable weather)
✅The weather has been unpredictable lately.
💡'temperamental' for weather is very informal and best avoided in writing.

2. Relating to or resulting from a person's inborn emotional and mental nature — th

2.形容詞B2
釋義

性情；氣質

源自個人天性的

Relating to or resulting from a person's inborn emotional and mental nature — the qualities that make each person react differently to the same situation because of who they are, not because of outside events.

例句

The twins showed clear temperamental differences from birth — one was calm while the other cried constantly.

那對雙胞胎從出生起就展現出明顯的性情差異——一個很安靜，另一個卻不停地哭。

temperamental + differences / traits / characteristics

Noor believed that her preference for quiet evenings at home was a temperamental quality rather than a learned habit.

Noor 認為自己喜歡在家度過安靜的夜晚是氣質使然，並非後天養成的習慣。

同義詞
  • innate

    more general; means present from birth, not necessarily about emotional nature

  • constitutional

    very formal; refers to the fundamental make-up of a person

  • inherent

    broader; means a quality that is a permanent part of something or someone

  • natural

    simpler and more common; may not specifically refer to personality

反義詞
  • acquired

    describes traits gained through experience rather than inborn nature

  • learned

    describes behaviour developed through practice or environment

文法句型

temperamental + noun (trait / characteristic / difference / factor)

temperamental + preference / tendency / disposition

用法筆記

This sense is more objective and scientific than Sense 1. It does not carry a negative judgement — it simply describes traits that come from a person's basic nature. Frequently used in psychology, child development, and personality research.

常見錯誤

❌She has a temperamental fear of spiders.
✅She has an inborn fear of spiders.
💡'temperamental' describes the type of trait, not the object of the feeling. Use 'innate' or 'inborn' for simple descriptions.

3. If a machine, piece of equipment, or system is temperamental, it does not always

3.形容詞B2
釋義

不穩定

運作時好時壞的

If a machine, piece of equipment, or system is temperamental, it does not always work correctly — it may run smoothly for a while and then suddenly stop, fail, or behave oddly, often for no obvious reason.

例句

The old van was so temperamental that Eli had to carry spare parts everywhere he went.

那輛老舊廂型車非常不穩定，Eli 去哪裡都得帶著備用零件。

so temperamental + that + result clause

Heather's temperamental laptop often shut down without warning in the middle of a video call.

Heather 那台不穩定的筆電常常在視訊通話到一半時無預警關機。

temperamental + computer / printer / phone / tablet

同義詞
  • unpredictable

    broader; can describe people, machines, or situations without the humorous tone

  • erratic

    suggests behaviour that follows no pattern; more technical for machines

  • unreliable

    more direct and negative; someone or something you cannot depend on

  • glitchy

    informal, often used for software or digital devices; suggests small, temporary problems

反義詞
  • reliable

    a device you can trust to work correctly every time

  • dependable

    similar to reliable, with a slightly warmer tone

  • consistent

    describes something that performs the same way every time

文法句型

so temperamental + that + clause

temperamental + noun (machine / car / phone / laptop / system)

用法筆記

Often used with mild humour or frustration — the speaker implies the device has a 'personality' of its own. It is less strong than 'broken' or 'faulty' and suggests the problem is occasional rather than constant. People often pair it with physical actions like tapping or adjusting the device.

常見錯誤

❌This computer is so temperamental, I need to buy a new one.' (implies occasional issues but the speaker wants a replacement)
✅This computer keeps crashing
💡I need to buy a new one.' — 'temperamental' suggests the problem is intermittent, not that the device is completely broken.