short temper
9
4.1
- noun
- /ʃɔrt ˈtɛmpər/
- Will Kevin's impulsiveness and short temper sabotage his own success?
- a short temper
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Watch on YouTubeSo your problem with procrastination or your short temper or the thing you really wish you could get rid of.
- So your problem with procrastination or your short temper or the thing you really wish you could get rid of.
Examples
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But when does a short temper or sharp tongue cross the line into something more serious?
Academic text (1995) -
A man with such a short temper should not be allowed to have a gun.
Blog text (13) -
My short temper with the kids shows the gap between my head knowledge that children are a gift.
Blog text (8) -
They have a short temper, but they go after their ambitions no matter how hard the opposition.
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I'm also very, very suspicious; very, very irrational; and I have a very, very short temper.
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If you bring to the job of administrator a thin skin, a short temper, or a general lack of interest in anyone's work but your own, you are probably headed toward personal dissatisfaction and a short tenure in the post.
Academic text (2017) -
Each employee is different, and their ability to cope with stress is therefore unique, but common signs of the condition can include: fatigue, headaches, short temper, increased susceptibility to illness, and weight loss.
Academic text (2014) -
Cody, in particular, referred continually to Pearl's short temper, displaying it against a background of stunned, childish faces so sad and bewildered that Pearl herself hardly recognized them.
Academic text (1997) -
He often loses his temper quickly; his short temper has caused problems with his friends.
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Because of her short temper, many people hesitate to approach her with concerns.
Synonyms
291
3.6
A sudden short burst of anger
20
3.4
A habit of getting angry easily and staying in a bad mood
12
4.2
Being easily annoyed or quick to become angry
5
4.6
A bad mood that makes someone easily angry
4
9.0
Being easily annoyed and acting childish
4
3.9
To become angry easily or suddenly
1
9.3
A tendency to become angry quickly
1
8.5
A habit of giving short, angry answers when annoyed
A tendency to get angry very quickly
Antonyms
How Irritable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'short' (brief/limited) modifies 'temper' (anger), so a learner who knows both words can infer a tendency to become angry quickly or easily. This adjective+noun pattern is a normal, cross-linguistically common way to express quickness of anger, making the phrase transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
Short temper comes from a simple image: short means 'not lasting long' and temper means mood or patience. Imagine someone's patience like a short rope that snaps quickly—so a person with a short temper loses patience and gets angry fast, 'to become angry quickly'.