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 of tepid

• 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

Before the announcement, state legislators offered fairly tepid reactions. — The Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Karlsson also leads them in scoring for the season, while Crosby has gotten off to a tepid start by his standards with 10 points in 16 matches. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026

Instead, opposing stars are sizzling against a shockingly tepid Heat defensive response. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

But the tepid volume bump isn’t expected to hold back spending even as fuel costs remain elevated, with FedEx forecasting high-single-digit revenue growth domestically. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026

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