temperature
temperature — noun
1. a number in degrees that shows the level of heat or cold in a place, an object,
a number in degrees that shows the level of heat or cold in a place, an object, or a living body
The temperature in the classroom reached 38 degrees Celsius during the heatwave.
temperature + in + [place]: measuring air heat
Romi checked the water temperature with her elbow before putting the baby in the bath.
check + [possessive] + temperature: measuring liquid heat
Set the oven temperature to 180 degrees and bake the cake for thirty minutes.
The nurse took Kenji's temperature and wrote the number on his chart.
- cold
the opposite end of the hot-cold scale but not a direct antonym of ‘temperature’
文法句型
the temperature + of + noun
temperature + verb (rise, drop, reach)
at a temperature of + number
用法筆記
This is the most common meaning of temperature. The verb paired with it is usually “take” (for body heat) or “check”/“read” (for air or objects). Units (°C, °F) are almost always included when stating a specific value.
常見錯誤
2. a condition in which a person’s or animal’s body is hotter than the normal healt
a condition in which a person’s or animal’s body is hotter than the normal healthy range, usually because of illness or infection
Noa stayed home from school because she had a temperature of 39 degrees.
have + a + temperature: expressing fever with a reading
If your baby has a temperature at night, call the clinic right away.
The doctor said Ingrid’s temperature was coming down after the medicine.
Amihan has been running a temperature since yesterday and cannot go to work.
- fever
more direct and slightly more common in everyday speech; ‘temperature’ is often used in the same way
- normal temperature
the healthy baseline (about 36.5–37°C) that fever deviates from
文法句型
have + a + temperature
run + a + temperature
[possessive] + temperature + goes down / comes down
用法筆記
When used in medical contexts, ‘temperature’ almost always implies a fever — an abnormally high body heat. The fixed expression ‘run a temperature’ is idiomatic and sounds natural in everyday English; ‘have a temperature’ is equally common. Avoid saying ‘I have fever’ (no article) — this is a common error among L1 speakers of languages without articles.
常見錯誤
3. how strongly people feel excitement, anger, or other intense emotions in a discu
how strongly people feel excitement, anger, or other intense emotions in a discussion, meeting, or public situation
When the manager announced the job cuts, the temperature of the meeting rose sharply.
temperature + of + [situation] + rise: growing tension
The coach tried to lower the temperature in the locker room after the team’s loss.
lower + the temperature: calming emotions
Political temperatures have been rising across the country since the new law was proposed.
Christopher said something rude at dinner, and the temperature at the table changed completely.
- tension
more direct and common in everyday English; ‘temperature’ is more metaphorical and slightly more dramatic
- atmosphere
broader term covering mood and feeling; ‘temperature’ specifically focuses on rising conflict
- heat
overlaps significantly; ‘heat of the argument’ is a very similar metaphor
- calm
the opposite emotional state — peacefulness instead of tension or excitement
文法句型
temperature + rises / is rising
raise + the temperature
lower + the temperature
the temperature + of + [situation]
用法筆記
This is always figurative — it does not refer to actual heat. The most common collocating verbs are ‘rise’ (intransitive, the tension grows) and ‘lower’ (transitive, someone calms things down). Use ‘in’ for a general domain (‘temperatures in the debate’) and ‘of’ for a specific event (‘temperature of the discussion’).