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

Rates even dipped below 6% in February, raising hopes that this would unlock a tepid housing market, in which home seekers have been reluctant to buy and homeowners have been loath to give up lower pandemic-era rates. — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 30 July 2026

That’s essentially the same tepid range its been in since the beginning of the year. — Matt Ott, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Yet audiences had been mostly rewarding these efforts until now, even if reviews were poor or word of mouth was tepid. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026

Aulton recommends using a soft microfiber cloth dampened with tepid water to gently clean both the tops and undersides of the leaves. — Colleen Sullivan, Martha Stewart, 21 July 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