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

Trump’s support among LGBT female voters was even more tepid, at 8%. —Patrick J. Egan, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024

But other prominent Arizona Republicans were tepid in their support for Lake. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

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

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