lukewarm
Americanadjective
-
moderately warm; tepid.
-
having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm; indifferent.
lukewarm applause.
- Synonyms:
- apathetic, cool, halfhearted
adjective
-
(esp of water) moderately warm; tepid
-
having or expressing little enthusiasm or conviction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lukewarm
1350–1400; Middle English lukewarme tepid, equivalent to luke tepid (unexplained alteration of lew, Old English gehlēow tepid) + warme warm
Explanation
Something lukewarm is just a teeny bit warm. Lukewarm feelings are also not very strong. Lukewarm is a word for things that are warm, but only barely. A forgotten cup of hot coffee will get lukewarm before it eventually gets cold. It's disappointing when food at a restaurant is served lukewarm; most people like their food hot. Also, people can have lukewarm feelings and reactions. If someone asks you out to lunch and you say, "Well, I guess that would be OK," that's a lukewarm response.
Vocabulary lists containing lukewarm
Ungifted
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Prisoner B-3087
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Gregor the Overlander
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That must be a relief for longtime DC Comics fans, given its emergence on the heels of the lukewarm critical and audience reception for “Supergirl.”
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“I think compromises make lukewarm results,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
If Darline Graham hopes to avoid similar missteps, lukewarm Fox interviews may be the right approach after all.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Germs that cause food poisoning can grow quickly in lukewarm food.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
It’s a mistake to hang back too obviously in any group like this; it stamps you as lukewarm, lacking in zeal.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
