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

For its new fiscal year, the company expects earnings per share to fall 3% year-over-year as a result of tepid margin and sales projections – far below the positive 4.6% earnings growth analysts have forecasted. —Hakyung Kim,sean Conlon, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025

Schneider’s tepid endorsement of Smith came days after Macdonald chose not to answer yes when asked if Smith was in the team’s plans. —Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025

Once again, her stern words earned tepid applause from a crowd that honestly just wanted to go two hours without thinking about humanity's downward trajectory into civil, moral, and environmental oblivion. —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2025

What calls out to be well seasoned — a dish with bits that are scorched and raw — is instead merely a tepid porridge. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 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