Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TEPID

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"TEPID" Meaning: Something tepid is just a little bit warm (or, depending on how you look at it, just a little bit cold.) Think of it like this: freezing > cold > cool > tepid > warm > hot > burning. Pronunciation: TEP id Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like “large” or “late.” They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in “a tepid reaction.” 2. After a linking verb, as in "The reaction was tepid.”) Other forms: tepidly, tepidness/tepidity How to use it: You use "tepid" to describe things that are just barely warm, usually to emphasize how those things really should be warmer, but they aren't. You can be literal and talk about tepid liquids, like tepid bathwater or tepid soup. More often, we use this word figuratively to mean "unenthusiastic" or "half-hearted." (Pick "tepid" instead of "unenthusiastic" or "half-hearted" when you need a short word that calls to mind a lack of heat or a lack of passion.) So, talk about tepid feelings for someone or a tepid relationship, a tepid handshake or hug or smile, tepid applause, a tepid appreciation of something, a tepid agreement to do something, tepid growth or tepid support, tepid success, a tepid response or reaction, tepid ratings and reviews, and so on. I like to decorate with white, cream, beige, gray, white, and more white, but I can see how some people would find it all unbearably tepid. You know that thing where a speaker doesn't like the tepidity of the audience's first response to his greeting, so he says, "Let's try this again: GOOD MORNING!"? Yeah, I'd be okay with that never happening again. It's so annoying and trite. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "tepid" means when you can explain it without saying "lukewarm" or "mild." Think of someone you know who is way more interested in something than you are, and fill in the blanks: "Next to (Person,) who _____, my interest in _____ is comparably tepid." Example: "Next to one of my sisters, who seems to post something every single day, my interest in sharing my life via Facebook is comparably tepid." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, challenge your powers of memory and recall (or just get ready to reign supreme on Wheel of Fortune) as we play with two-word phrases that you’ll find in a dictionary. We’ll start off with easy tasks and advance to harder ones as the month goes on. See the right answer to each question the following day. You might even see a new phrase that inspires your curiosity and makes you look it up. Have fun! (Note: Every dictionary recognizes a different set of two-word phrases. I used the OED to make these game questions.) Yesterday's question: What word fits into each phrase below? ? gloss ? microphone ? pencil ? service ? stud Answer: lip. Try this one today: What word fits into each phrase below? ? box ? ceremony ? fighter ? fighting ? fine ? march ? movement ? papers ? ride ? rider ? scroll ? song ? struggle ? walk ? walker A Point Well Made: Albert Einstein: “Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” 1. One opposite of TEPID is A. FREE B. FERVENT C. FERMENTED 2. According to the tepid reviews, everyone agrees that the product is _____. A. problematic B. easy to assemble C. just okay Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C Exploring the archives: Today's "tepid" means "lukewarm, not enthusiastic, not passionate." Someone who gives you tepid glances or tepid smiles, or someone with a tepid personality overall, could be said to have "s___-f____:" a cool, unemotional indifference to everything. Could you recall this French term?