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
Examples of tepid in a Sentence
He gave a tepid performance.
My suggestion was given a tepid response.
Recent Examples on the Web
Essentially, Trump is short on clout with the American people, and yet, for some reason, these tepid Democrats just handed him another cudgel.
—
Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Miami, one of the league’s most tepid offensive teams last season, entered the game leading the league in first quarter scoring, at just over 34 per game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a tepid, last-minute endorsement.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Use tepid water, not cold, to water your orchid.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tepid
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Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Miami, one of the league’s most tepid offensive teams last season, entered the game leading the league in first quarter scoring, at just over 34 per game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a tepid, last-minute endorsement.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Use tepid water, not cold, to water your orchid.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tepid
Cite this Entry
“Tepid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tepid. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tepid
adjective
tep·id
ˈtep-əd 
1
: lukewarm
a tepid bath
2
: lacking enthusiasm or conviction : halfhearted
a tepid response
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