Make Your Point: TEPID

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pronounce TEPID:

TEP id

connect this word to others:

A tepid mug of coffee, or a tepid greeting when you visit someone, isn't as warm as you were hoping it would be. Here's April taking some tepid wedding vows.

(Source)

See if you can recall a French word for people like April who behave tepidly toward everyone. You could say they have s___-fr__d: a cool, unenthusiastic attitude, literally "cold blood."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Tepid" comes from the Latin word tepere, meaning "to be slightly warm."

Something tepid is not very warm: only a little bit warm.

And in a figurative sense, something tepid is not very kind, not very welcoming, or not very enthusiastic.

grammatical bits:

Parts of speech:

Adjective: "tepid water;" "The applause was tepid."

Other forms:

The adverb is "tepidly," as in "They applauded tepidly."

For a noun, you can pick between "tepidness" and my preference, "tepidity."

how to use it:

"Tepid" is a formal, semi-common word. In two quick syllables, it expresses all the disappointment of clunkier synonyms like "unimpressive," "underwhelming," "unexciting," and "unenthusiastic." So, pick it when you need to emphasize how things (or people) just aren't as warm as they should be.

You might talk about literally tepid things, like tepid soup, coffee, or showers (ugh).

Or, talk figuratively about tepid feelings, beliefs, greetings, comments, responses, conversations, or relationships. If you're a businessperson, you might talk about tepid sales, debuts, reviews, and consumer demand. And if you're a fan of sports or the arts, you might talk about tepid performers, performances, games, scenes, and seasons.

examples:

"The tea grows tepid, then cold, in their cups."
— Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train, 2013

"Game of Thrones has had both epic and tepid battle sequences in the past, usually depending on how much budget was being thrown at a given sequence."
— Bryan Bishop, The Verge, 31 July 2017

has this page helped you understand "tepid"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "tepid" without saying "lukewarm" or "restrained."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "Although (some part of something was good in some way), (some dull or unimpressive part) made it a tepid experience."

Example 1: "Although the first few songs in the musical were zippy and amusing, the sluggish pace of the plot made it a tepid experience."

Example 2: "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a perfectly serviceable remake that does just enough to advocate for its existence. As a Switch game, it is undeniably cute; the new, soft art style suits it well. I like Charmander's little bandana. But there’s little else to praise in an otherwise tepid experience."
— Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge, 6 March 2020

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "Spot the Sharper Image."

Which of the two items described below is a real one that you can order from the Sharper Image catalog, and which one did I invent? Scroll to the bottom to see which one is real!

Try this set today:

Item A: Folding Tabletop Grill. "Compact and portable, it emits realistic sizzling sounds."

Item B: Phone Gloves with Bluetooth. "With a built-in microphone and speaker in the left glove so you can stay warm while you chat on the phone."

review this word:

1. Opposites of TEPID include

A. HOT and COLD.
B. EASY and COMPLICATED.
C. IMPOSSIBLE and INEVITABLE.

2. Indoors, I like to decorate with _____, but I can see how you might find it tepid.

A. hot pink and flourescent magenta
B. framed samples of my daughter's earliest scribbles
C. white, cream, white, beige, gray, white, white, and more white

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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