tepid
Americanadjective
-
moderately warm; lukewarm.
tepid water.
-
characterized by a lack of force or enthusiasm.
tepid prose;
the critics' tepid reception for the new play.
- Synonyms:
- apathetic, halfhearted, unemotional
adjective
-
slightly warm; lukewarm
-
relatively unenthusiastic or apathetic
the play had a tepid reception
Other Word Forms
- subtepid adjective
- subtepidity noun
- subtepidly adverb
- subtepidness noun
- tepidity noun
- tepidly adverb
- tepidness noun
Etymology
Origin of tepid
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin tepidus “lukewarm,” from tep(ēre) “to be lukewarm” + -idus -id 4
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The company’s shares slipped yet again in February as Gartner provided a tepid outlook for 2026 and posted quarterly earnings that failed to impress Wall Street.
From Barron's
The company’s shares slipped yet again in February as Gartner provided a tepid outlook for 2026 and posted quarterly earnings that failed to impress Wall Street.
From Barron's
Salesforce and Workday reported earnings with tepid forecasts, and Snowflake’s report, while positive overall, initially failed to impress investors.
The Southeast Asian economy has struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels of growth, weighed down by high household debt, weak consumption and a tepid tourism recovery.
The dip reflects a slow winter market with tepid sales and low inventory.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
