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

And Bobby Brink’s departure to Minnesota, coupled with left winger Alex Bump getting recalled to fill Brink’s roster spot, offered Tocchet the opportunity to shift Michkov back to where the 21-year-old prefers to be — even if Tocchet seems tepid on the idea. —Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026

Still, the underlying trend for hiring is tepid at best. —Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Still, China’s broader growth trajectory has flattened, weighed down by a prolonged property crisis, declined investment, tepid consumption and deflation. —John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026

In all, McTavish has 13 goals and 31 points in 54 games, thus far not rekindling the consistency or menace of his stretch run after a tepid first half last season. —Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 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