Lukewarm Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms lukewarm American [look-wawrm] / ˈlukˈwɔrm /

    adjective

    1. moderately warm; tepid.

    2. having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm; indifferent.

      lukewarm applause.

      Synonyms: apathetic, cool, halfhearted
    lukewarm British / ˌluːkˈwɔːm /

    adjective

    1. (esp of water) moderately warm; tepid

    2. having or expressing little enthusiasm or conviction

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    Other Word Forms

    • lukewarmly adverb
    • lukewarmness noun
    • lukewarmth noun

    Etymology

    Origin of lukewarm

    1350–1400; Middle English lukewarme tepid, equivalent to luke tepid (unexplained alteration of lew, Old English gehlēow tepid) + warme warm

    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.

    Your daughter made you a lukewarm cup of tea, and you are rewarding her with a piping hot mug of the finest Colombian coffee.

    From MarketWatch

    His relationship with LIV always seemed lukewarm, rarely hyping the Saudi Arabia-backed venture in the fashion of so many of its other recruits.

    From BBC

    It’s like solving food poisoning with another lukewarm plate of lightly-boiled chicken.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Investors can cross one item off their holiday wish list: a lukewarm CPI.

    From Barron's

    Dodds got a lukewarm reception when she presented the idea at a town council meeting this summer.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Related Words

    • apathetic
    • chilly
    • halfhearted
    • hesitant
    • indecisive
    • tepid
    • uncertain
    • uncommitted

    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.

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