temperate
gb/tˈɛmpɚɪt/ us/tˈɛmpɚɪt/
B2
English
~ 8300
mérsékelt, enyhe, mértéktartó, higgadt, visszafogott, mértékletes, absztinens, temperált, lizogén
B2
1
Usage pattern:
temperate [climate/zone/region/weather]
Winters in this temperate climate are usually wet but not very cold.
Ezen a mérsékelt éghajlatú vidéken a telek általában csapadékosak, de nem túl hidegek.
Many people move to coastal cities for their temperate weather all year round.
Sokan az egész évben enyhe időjárás miatt költöznek tengerparti városokba.
These plants grow best in temperate regions with plenty of rainfall.
The island lies in a temperate zone and rarely sees snow.
Temperate forests cover large areas of Europe and North America.
Learner examples
The city has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters.
A város éghajlata mérsékelt, meleg nyarakkal és hűvös telekkel.
I like living in a temperate country where it is never very hot or very cold.
Szeretek mérsékelt éghajlatú országban élni, ahol soha nincs nagyon meleg vagy nagyon hideg.
These trees need a temperate area to grow well.
Penguins in temperate zones live in cooler, but not freezing, water.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "temperate" with "temperature" and try to say *"The temperature is temperate"*. Instead, use "The climate is temperate" or "The weather is mild." It is also not used for a single hot or cold day; it describes the general climate or usual weather.
Meaning
having mild, not extreme climate
Collocations
temperate climate
|temperate zone
|temperate regions
|temperate forests
|temperate waters
|temperate grasslands
Synonyms
mild (More general and common; can describe weather, tastes, or behavior, not just climate zones.)
|
moderate (Similar idea of not extreme, but used more broadly for amounts or opinions as well as weather.)
Antonyms
extreme (Describes climates or conditions with very high or very low temperatures or other severe features.)
|
tropical (Refers specifically to hot, often humid regions near the equator, contrasting with temperate areas.)
Themes
nature
|geography
|science
|weather
Definition
Having weather that is not very hot or very cold, but usually mild.
Describes a climate, region, or weather that is generally mild and does not experience very hot or very cold extremes.
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
temperate [response/approach/language]; temperate in [something]
Despite the harsh accusations, she gave a temperate reply and avoided further conflict.
A kemény vádak ellenére visszafogott választ adott, és elkerülte a további konfliktust.
The editor called for more temperate language in the public debate.
A szerkesztő mértéktartóbb nyelvezetet szorgalmazott a közéleti vitában.
He is known for his temperate approach to politics, preferring compromise over confrontation.
The judge’s temperate remarks helped calm the crowded courtroom.
Investors welcomed the CEO’s temperate assessment of the company’s future.
Learner examples
He stayed temperate and did not shout during the argument.
Higgadt maradt, és nem kiabált a vita közben.
Her temperate answer helped stop the fight.
Visszafogott válasza segített véget vetni a veszekedésnek.
The teacher used temperate words when she spoke about the problem.
We need a temperate voice, not angry voices, in this discussion.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "temperate" with "temperamental" and say things like *"He is very temperate"* when they mean someone changes mood quickly. "Temperate" means controlled and moderate; "temperamental" means someone’s mood changes a lot.
Meaning
showing moderation and self-control
Collocations
a temperate response
|temperate language
|a temperate approach
|temperate tone
|temperate in his criticism
|temperate in her demands
Synonyms
moderate (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and less formal in everyday use.)
|
restrained (Emphasizes held-back emotions or actions; can sound a bit more critical or stiff.)
Antonyms
extreme (Describes views or actions that go very far in one direction, without moderation.)
|
hot-headed (Informal; describes someone who reacts quickly and angrily, without self-control.)
Themes
behavior
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Acting in a calm, controlled way and not going to extremes with your feelings or actions.
Showing moderation and self-restraint, especially by not being extreme in opinions, actions, or emotional expression.
C1
FORMAL
3
mértékletes
C1
absztinens
C1
Usage pattern:
temperate in [his/her/their] drinking; a temperate lifestyle
After years of excess, he adopted a more temperate lifestyle and cut back on alcohol.
Évekig tartó túlzások után mértékletesebb életmódra váltott, és visszafogta az alkoholfogyasztását.
Her father was known as a temperate drinker who rarely had more than one glass of wine.
Az apját mértékletes alkoholfogyasztóként ismerték, aki ritkán ivott egy pohár bornál többet.
The doctor advised him to be temperate in his drinking to protect his liver.
Members of the group are expected to lead temperate lives and avoid public drunkenness.
He prided himself on his temperate habits, refusing strong drinks at business dinners.
Learner examples
He is temperate in his drinking and stops after one beer.
Mértékletesen iszik, és megáll egy sörnél.
She decided to live a more temperate life and drink less alcohol.
Úgy döntött, hogy mértékletesebben él, és kevesebb alkoholt iszik.
The doctor told him to be temperate with wine.
People in this club must be temperate and not get drunk.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "temperate" means "temporary" and say *"I am temperate drunk"* to mean drunk for a short time. This is incorrect. "Temperate" here is about not drinking much; to say the state is short, use words like "for a short time" or "only tonight."
Meaning
moderate or restrained in drinking
Collocations
temperate in his drinking
|temperate in her habits
|a temperate lifestyle
|temperate habits
|a temperate drinker
Synonyms
abstinent (Often stronger; suggests not using alcohol (or other things) at all, sometimes for religious or moral reasons.)
|
moderate (Very common; can describe controlled drinking without the slightly moral or formal tone of "temperate".)
Antonyms
heavy-drinking (Describes someone who regularly drinks a lot of alcohol.)
|
intemperate (Formal; means lacking self-control, especially with alcohol or other physical pleasures.)
Themes
health
|behavior
|society
|daily_life
Definition
Drinking no alcohol, or only a small amount, in a careful and controlled way.
Not drinking alcohol, or drinking only a small and careful amount, especially as a habit or moral choice.
C2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
temperate [phage/bacteriophage/virus]
A temperate phage can enter a lysogenic cycle and persist in the bacterial genome.
A temperált fág beléphet a lizogén ciklusba, és fennmaradhat a baktérium genomjában.
Researchers compared the behavior of temperate and lytic phages under different conditions.
A kutatók különböző körülmények között hasonlították össze a temperált és a litikus fágok viselkedését.
This temperate virus remains dormant until the host cell is stressed.
Learner examples
A temperate phage does not kill the cell right away.
A temperált fág nem öli meg azonnal a sejtet.
In a temperate virus, the viral DNA can stay inside the cell for a long time.
Temperált vírus esetén a vírus-DNS hosszú ideig a sejtben maradhat.
Students learned that a temperate phage can be quiet in the cell before it becomes active.
Common mistake:
Students may wrongly assume "temperate" has the same meaning here as in "temperate climate" or "temperate person". In microbiology, it has a special technical meaning only for certain viruses and phages.
Meaning
virus or phage not immediately lytic
Collocations
temperate phage
|temperate bacteriophage
|temperate virus
|temperate infection
Synonyms
lysogenic (Technical; focuses on the type of viral life cycle where the virus DNA is integrated into the host genome.)
Antonyms
lytic (Technical; describes viruses or phages that immediately replicate and burst the host cell.)
Themes
science
|medicine
Definition
In biology, describing a virus that can live quietly inside a cell for some time and does not destroy it right away.
In microbiology, describing a bacteriophage or virus that can integrate into the genetic material of a host cell and remain dormant for some time instead of immediately killing the cell.
Grammar
Dictionary form
temperate
IPA
GB/tˈɛmpɚɪt/
US/tˈɛmpɚɪt/
Syllables & stress
tem - per - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tem)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: temperate
Word family
Core family
temperately
adverb
temperance
noun C1
Related words
temper
verb B1
Negative and opposite forms
intemperate
adjective
intemperance
noun
Advanced or less common
intemperately
adverb
Expressions
temperate zone
1/tˈɛmpɚɪt zˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
Earth region with mild climate
A large part of the Earth between the hot tropics and the cold polar areas, where the climate is usually mild.
Examples
- Most of Europe lies in the temperate zone.
- Many people prefer to live in the temperate zones because the weather is not too hot or too cold.