tepid
Americanadjective
-
moderately warm; lukewarm.
tepid water.
-
characterized by a lack of force or enthusiasm.
tepid prose;
the critics' tepid reception for the new play.
- Synonyms:
- apathetic, halfhearted, unemotional
adjective
-
slightly warm; lukewarm
-
relatively unenthusiastic or apathetic
the play had a tepid reception
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of tepid
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin tepidus “lukewarm,” from tep(ēre) “to be lukewarm” + -idus -id 4
Explanation
Tepid means lukewarm or half-hearted. If the applause for your mime-on-a-unicycle performance was more tepid than enthusiastic, it might be time to find a new hobby. Around the year 1400, the word tepid evolved from the Latin tepidus, an adjective meaning “lukewarm,” which itself is derived from the Latin tepere, a verb meaning “to be warm.” Tepid people or things are lukewarm or lacking in enthusiasm or emotion. Bathwater that’s been sitting in the tub for two hours is probably tepid. So is the greeting you might give to a former friend you run into at the movie theater.
Vocabulary lists containing tepid
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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.
Tepid applause for Snoop’s endorsement of the podcast category inclusion.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2026
Tepid U.S. jobs data, meanwhile, raised concerns about a slowdown in growth for oil demand.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 17, 2025
Tepid growth has fueled calls for monetary support, and the central bank has now delivered four cuts so far this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
“Without a course correction, we are indeed heading for ‘the Tepid Twenties’ -– a sluggish and disappointing decade,” said Kristalina Georgieva, the organization’s managing director, in announcing the economic projection and longer-term outlook.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024
Tepid and insipid as it actually was, I thought I had never tasted anything half so delicious, and I not only drained it to the last drop, but asked for more.
From A Middy of the King A Romance of the Old British Navy by Hodgson, Edward S.
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.
