lukewarm

adjective

luke·​warm ˈlük-ˈwȯrm How to pronounce lukewarm (audio)
Synonyms of lukewarm
1
: moderately warm : tepid
a lukewarm bath
lukewarm coffee
2
: lacking conviction : half-hearted
gave them only lukewarm support
a lukewarm review
lukewarm applause
lukewarmly adverb
lukewarmness noun

Synonyms of lukewarm

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of lukewarm in a Sentence

I hate drinking lukewarm coffee. Our plan got a lukewarm reception. The producer was lukewarm about her script.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Toy Story 4 got a Best Animated Feature nomination despite lukewarm reception and a smaller box-office take. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 The deal got a lukewarm reception from investors in June but is nonetheless considered a strategic pivot for Fox into streaming distribution. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 Gaming journalist Mike Straw revealed development delays pushed its release, escalating costs and leading to lukewarm reviews. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Wall Street, which is accustomed to robust growth from Walmart, reacted swiftly to the lukewarm sales numbers, and the company’s stock plunged 9% Thursday. — Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lukewarm

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from luke lukewarm + warm; probably akin to Old High German lāo lukewarm — more at lee

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lukewarm was in the 14th century

Rhymes for lukewarm

See All Rhymes for lukewarm

Browse Nearby Words

Luke
lukewarm
lukewarmish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lukewarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lukewarm. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

lukewarm

adjective
luke·​warm ˈlü-ˈkwȯ(ə)rm How to pronounce lukewarm (audio)
1
: mildly warm : tepid
a lukewarm bath
2
: not enthusiastic : indifferent
our plan got a lukewarm reception
lukewarmly adverb
lukewarmness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of conscientious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All