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

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

Studio executives who annoyed her might find their films receiving tepid coverage. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026

Despite Wall Street’s tepid response, some analysts remain bullish on Netflix. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

For instance, already tepid economic growth has been slowing. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 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