Word of the Day
: January 24, 2022intemperate
play
adjective
in-TEM-puh-rut
What It Means
Intemperate means "having extreme conditions" or "having or showing a lack of emotional calmness or control."
// The plant is able to survive in intemperate climates.
// The journalist apologized for her intemperate rant against the mayor.
intemperate in Context
"It is probably useful … for us to let our ideas flow with intemperate fervor on topics about which we care passionately." — Jim Slusher, The Chicago Daily Herald, 2 Sept. 2021
Did You Know?
Intemperate means "not well tempered"—in other words, not well mixed or balanced. The word comes from Latin intemperatus, a combination of in- and the verb temperare, meaning "to temper" or "to mix."
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Quiz
Fill in the blanks to complete a word for a long speech marked by intemperate language: t _ _ _ d _.
VIEW THE ANSWERMore Words of the Day
-
Apr 25
travail
-
Apr 24
ostensible
-
Apr 23
slough
-
Apr 22
liaison
-
Apr 21
bodacious
-
Apr 20
resurrection
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
