quick temper
- noun
- It was hard for me to imagine how Joseph could have perceived me as such a domineering intellectual—steely-minded with a quick temper, eager to reduce those around me—everything I did not want to be, did not think I was with him.
- might get a quick temper
Well, not nasty, but such a quick temper, you know what I mean?
- Well, not nasty, but such a quick temper, you know what I mean?
- You know, if I didn't have a hot quick temper, I'd be dead.
- So, so that's the, you know, one of the things a quick temper is, is, is another thing People would describe me as being one of the most intense people they've ever met.
Examples
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I've got a quick temper.
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They had the same eyes, quick temper, and forceful opinions.
Fiction book (1994) -
He had a quick temper.
-
He had a quick temper and could crack like lightning.
Fiction book (1995) -
She had inherited the quick temper of her grandfather, but so far had kept it in check where Martha was concerned.
Fiction book (1997) -
I remembered how my teacher had reserved her praise for a select group and how others like myself went through most school days feeling like a bother and trying not to ignite our teacher's quick temper.
Fiction book (1993) -
Wilson's quick temper, his distrust, and his inability to "leave work at work" are all indicative of how far he has removed himself from everyday life.
Blog text (17) -
Marmee tells Jo that she, too, suffers the bosom enemy of a quick temper (another one of my faults).
Blog text (1) -
While shopworn clichés may earn you an eye roll from the bench, displaying a quick temper might get you thrown out on your ear.
Academic text (2002) -
He has a quick temper, so it is best to avoid arguing with him.
Synonyms
A sudden short burst of anger
A habit of getting angry easily and staying in a bad mood
Getting angry or losing patience very quickly
A quick, strong reaction of anger or emotion
A tendency to become angry quickly
A habit of giving short, angry answers when annoyed
A bad mood that makes someone easily angry
A tendency to get angry very quickly
Getting angry quickly and acting without thinking
A person who is easily annoyed and speaks in short, sharp words
Antonyms
How Angry
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a tendency to become angry easily or suddenly' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'quick' (fast/sudden) with 'temper' (anger/disposition); the adjective plainly modifies the noun to indicate speed of emotional reaction. This adjective+noun compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand the expression.
Etymology
Quick temper paints a picture of someone whose quick feelings light like a match: their temper, or 'anger', flares up fast. So, quick temper means 'a tendency to become angry easily'.