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

Atlanta designer Olivia Westbrooks’s response, for instance, is tepid at best. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025

The Canucks’ offensive push once Utah took the lead was laboured and tepid. —Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025

Support for his tariff barrage is tepid at best, with many industry groups urging exemptions and economists warning of cascading fallout across the economy. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025

But beyond those occasional dashes of inspiration, For Worse is a curiously tepid affair, uninterested in building out the world around Lauren or even in going that deep into Lauren’s feelings. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for tepid

• intrepid

Kids Definition

tepid

adjective

tep·​id ˈtep-əd 

1

: lukewarm

a tepid bath

2

: lacking enthusiasm or conviction : halfhearted

a tepid response