tepid

adjective

tep·​id ˈte-pəd 

1

: moderately warm : lukewarm

a tepid bath

2

a

: lacking in passion, force, or zest

tepid poetry

b

: marked by an absence of enthusiasm or conviction

a tepid interest

a tepid response

tepidity

tə-ˈpi-də-tē 

te-

noun

tepidly

ˈte-pəd-lē 

adverb

tepidness noun

Synonyms

• halfhearted
• lukewarm
• uneager
• unenthusiastic

Examples of tepid in a Sentence

He gave a tepid performance.

My suggestion was given a tepid response.

Recent Examples on the Web

Apple, which also reported its earnings after markets closed on Thursday, got a much more tepid response from investors. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

While crypto price action has been tepid, the market cap for stablecoins reached new highs, helping push Coinbase’s third-quarter stablecoin revenue to $246.9 million. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024

Consumer confidence is tepid, but well above the threshold that historically has signaled a recession. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024

The comedy is mostly tepid, but Barrera sells it well. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English teped, from Latin tepidus, from tepēre to be moderately warm; akin to Sanskrit tapati it heats, Old Irish tess heat

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tepid

adjective

tep·​id ˈtep-əd 

1

: lukewarm

a tepid bath

2

: lacking enthusiasm or conviction : halfhearted

a tepid response