tepid

[tep-id]

adjective

1. moderately warm; lukewarm.

   tepid water.

   Synonyms: mild, moderate

2. characterized by a lack of force or enthusiasm.

   tepid prose;

   the critics' tepid reception for the new play.

   Synonyms: apathetic, halfhearted, unemotional

tepid

/ ˈtɛpɪd /

adjective

1. slightly warm; lukewarm

2. relatively unenthusiastic or apathetic

   the play had a tepid reception

Other Word Forms

• tepidity noun
• tepidly adverb
• tepidness noun
• subtepid adjective
• subtepidly adverb
• subtepidness noun
• subtepidity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tepid¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin tepidus “lukewarm,” from tep(ēre) “to be lukewarm” + -idus -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of tepid¹

C14: from Latin tepidus, from tepēre to be lukewarm

Example Sentences

While the fall indicates tepid demand, the coin is still trading at a higher price than what many early buyers would have paid initially, putting them in line for profit.

From BBC

In one survey, the words they used most often were “weak” and “tepid.”

From Los Angeles Times

Its co-creator Chuck Lorre fielded a similarly tepid response for “Two and a Half Men.”

From Salon

Anything to distract from his broken promises around IVF funding, a tepid jobs report and his failure in producing the Epstein files.

From Los Angeles Times

In December, Sir Keir Starmer said that "too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline," incurring criticism from civil service unions.

From BBC

Related Words

• dull 
• halfhearted 
• mild 
• unenthusiastic 
• warm