Intemperate means lacking moderation or self-control, especially in a way that's excessive or extreme. When someone is intemperate, they go too far: an intemperate eater might devour an entire pizza meant for the family, while an intemperate shopper might blow their whole allowance on the first thing they see.

The word often describes emotions or speech that get out of hand. An intemperate outburst might involve yelling and saying things you'll regret later, rather than expressing anger in a measured way. An intemperate critic doesn't just point out problems but attacks viciously. In debates, intemperate language involves wild exaggerations or personal insults instead of reasoned arguments.

You can think of intemperate as the opposite of temperate, which means balanced and moderate. A temperate climate has mild weather without extreme heat or cold. A temperate person stays calm and reasonable. An intemperate person, by contrast, swings to extremes. They might laugh too loudly, complain too bitterly, or react too harshly to small problems.