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

• neutral
• lukewarm
• halfhearted
• unenthusiastic

Examples of tepid in a Sentence

He gave a tepid performance.

My suggestion was given a tepid response.

Recent Examples on the Web

And then there’s the Nissan Versa that comes standard with a manual gearbox as a way to both maintain its standing as the most-affordable car in America, and to wring the most out of its tepid (though fuel-efficient) 122-horsepower engine. —Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

In 2015, the FDA issued a tepid notice about the risks of using acetaminophen during pregnancy, mentioning conflicting results about a possible link to ADHD but nothing about autism. —Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025

Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 6 Sep. 2025

For such an insistence on democracy, the pavilion is curiously tepid in its politics, save for a kind of vernacular populism and some PBS-esque nods to the Gee’s Bend quilters. —Kate Wagner, Curbed, 5 Sep. 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