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.
It is as much part of the travelling experience as lukewarm coffee and queues at passport control.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
But lukewarm turned out to be L.A.’s high point.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
ET, following lukewarm demand for two-year and five-year tenders earlier this week.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
The most significant part of the meeting, noted Dario Perkins of TS Lombard, was Powell’s lukewarm support for the look-through approach, a hawkish turn from how the committee had been treating tariffs.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
I take a slow sip of lukewarm coffee, reopen the book, and read the words scribbled in red ink near the top: Everyone needs an olly-olly-oxen-free.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
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.
