Wordul · all words

adjective · 2 syllables · /'tep.ɪd/

TEPID

What does "TEPID" mean?

Only slightly warm, lukewarm; or unenthusiastic and half-hearted.

Meanings

  1. Moderately warm; lukewarm. The bath had gone tepid by the time she got in.
  2. Lacking warmth or enthusiasm; unexcited. The pitch got a tepid response from investors. figurative

Word origin

From Latin 'tepidus' (lukewarm), from 'tepēre' (to be warm); the figurative 'half-hearted' sense follows the same logic as 'lukewarm enthusiasm'.

Remember it

TEPID sounds like 'temperate' cut short - and that's what it is: warmth that quit halfway. Latin 'tepere', to be barely warm.

A little poem

Coffee left too long-
not hot enough to comfort,
not cold enough to pour.

haiku

Wordplay

  • I asked how he felt about the lukewarm soup. He gave a tepid shrug - fitting, for once.

What it teaches

Tepid is the most honest verdict and the cruelest: not warm enough to keep, not cold enough to leave.

Quick facts

What does TEPID mean?

Only slightly warm, lukewarm; or unenthusiastic and half-hearted.

Is TEPID a valid word?

Yes — TEPID is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is TEPID?

TEPID has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does TEPID come from?

From Latin 'tepidus' (lukewarm), from 'tepēre' (to be warm); the figurative 'half-hearted' sense follows the same logic as 'lukewarm enthusiasm'.

What can TEPID teach us?

Tepid is the most honest verdict and the cruelest: not warm enough to keep, not cold enough to leave.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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