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
Examples of tepid in a Sentence
He gave a tepid performance.
My suggestion was given a tepid response.
Recent Examples on the Web
While job growth has been tepid over the past year, layoffs haven’t risen more than usual, meaning Americans are still able to power the economy with their spending.
—
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
That’s a fate that befouls most of the heroic cast, who are underserved by a tepid script that can’t bother to locate and carry through coherent character arcs that would give this adventure real emotional weight.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
China’s consumer spending has remained tepid since the pandemic.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
The reaction in Sonoma from the people who remained to the end was more of a tepid applause.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tepid
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Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
That’s a fate that befouls most of the heroic cast, who are underserved by a tepid script that can’t bother to locate and carry through coherent character arcs that would give this adventure real emotional weight.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
China’s consumer spending has remained tepid since the pandemic.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
The reaction in Sonoma from the people who remained to the end was more of a tepid applause.
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tepid
Cite this Entry
“Tepid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tepid. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tepid
adjective
tep·id
ˈtep-əd 
1
: lukewarm
a tepid bath
2
: lacking enthusiasm or conviction : halfhearted
a tepid response
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