tepid

adjective

tep·​id ˈte-pəd How to pronounce tepid (audio)
Synonyms of tepid
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 How to pronounce tepid (audio)
te-
noun
tepidly
ˈte-pəd-lē How to pronounce tepid (audio)
adverb
tepidness noun

Synonyms of tepid

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tepid in a Sentence

He gave a tepid performance. My suggestion was given a tepid response.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As for the tepid run-up to this World Cup? — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 13 June 2026 The film currently holds a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences are a bit more tepid, giving it a 75%. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 June’s tepid hiring comes after a relative surge in job gains the previous three months, countering concerns that the war in Iran would trip up an already wobbly labor market. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 The film’s reviews range from negative to tepid praise (averaging a 58 percent Rotten Tomatoes score). — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tepid

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tepid was in the 14th century

Rhymes for tepid

See All Rhymes for tepid

Browse Nearby Words

Tepic
tepid
tepidarium
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tepid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tepid. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tepid

adjective
tep·​id ˈtep-əd How to pronounce tepid (audio)
1
: lukewarm
a tepid bath
2
: lacking enthusiasm or conviction : halfhearted
a tepid response

More from Merriam-Webster on tepid

Nglish: Translation of tepid for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All