Dictionary

lukewarm en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌl(j)uk.ˈwɔɹm/ (US)
• /ˈl(j)uk.wɔɹm/ (US)
• /ˌl(j)uːk.ˈwɔːm/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English leuk Proto-Germanic *warmaz Proto-West Germanic *warm Old English wearm Middle English warm Middle English leukwarm English lukewarm From Middle English leukwarm, lukewarm (“lukewarm, tepid”), equivalent to luke (“lukewarm”) + warm. Compare Saterland Frisian luukwoarm (“lukewarm”), German Low German luukwarm (“lukewarm”); first element is related to Dutch leuk (“lukewarm”), as in leukwater (“lukewarm water”). Compare also West Frisian lijwarm (“lukewarm”), Afrikaans louwarm (“lukewarm”), German Low German lowarm, luwarm (“lukewarm”), German lauwarm (“lukewarm”). First element believed to be an alteration of Middle English lew (“tepid”) (> English dialectal lew), from Old English *hlēowe (“warm, sunny”), from Proto-Germanic *hliwjaz, *hlēwaz, *hlūmaz, *hleumaz (“warm”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱal(w)e-, *ḱel(w)e-, *k(')lēw- (“warm, hot”). Cognate with Dutch lauw (“tepid”), German lau (“lukewarm”), Faroese lýggjur (“warm”), Swedish ljum (“lukewarm”), ljummen (“lukewarm”) and ly (“warm”), Danish lummer (“muggy”), Danish and Norwegian lunken (“tepid”), dialectal Swedish ljummen (“lukewarm”).

Meanings

1. Between warm and cool.
   • My curry is lukewarm.
   • Wash it in lukewarm water.
2. Unenthusiastic (about a proposal or an idea).
   • The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • The centre-vestibule "open" type of coach, which met with a very lukewarm reception when first introduced over half-a-century ago, is now used in increasing numbers as a non-dining vehicle. 1957 July 14, D. S. M. Barrie, “Sixty Years of British Express Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 457:
   • The suggestion met with only a lukewarm response.

Forms

Coordinates

underwarm

Deriveds

lukewarmly · lukewarmth · lukewarmish · lukewarmness · lukecold · lukewarmist · lukewarmism · lukecool

Synonyms

lukewarm · world-weary · untouched · nonchalant · Laodicean · blithe · lew · spiritless · jaded · enervated · tepid · indifferent · dispassionate · unenthusiastic · mopey · unzealous · cool · supine · deaf · meh · unconcerned · torpedinous · listless · unimpressible · unconcerned · phlegmatic · languid · gallionic · indifferent · pococurante · lackadaisical · unlively · halfhearted · dull · Laodicean · unmoved · lotophagous · shiftless · adiaphroistic · blasé · torpid · nonplussed · otiose · heartless · apathistical · lethargic · insensible · insouciant · luke · tepid · unaroused · uninterested · languorous · ineffervescible · impassive · uncaring · apathetic

Translations (128)

wa tiene (temperature) · la tepidus (temperature) · it tiepido (temperature) · ru теплова́тый (temperature) · ckb شلتێن (temperature) · arz فاتر (temperature) · no lunken (temperature) · ga alabhog (temperature) · fi haalea (temperature) · nrf tchiède (temperature) · de lauwarm (temperature) · fy lij (temperature) · gl morno (temperature) · ga bog (temperature) · sq vakët (temperature) · tr umursamaz (not very enthusiastic) · ga lagspreosach (not very enthusiastic) · tr kayıtsız (not very enthusiastic) · es tibio (not very enthusiastic) · pl letni (temperature) · mk млак (not very enthusiastic) · ko 미지근한 (temperature) · pt tépido (temperature) · vi hờ hững (not very enthusiastic) · cmn 冷淡的 (not very enthusiastic) · he פּוֹשֵׁר (temperature) · bg хладък (temperature) · ia tepide (not very enthusiastic) · cy llugoer (temperature) · ro călduț (temperature) · uk теплуватий (temperature) · fur tivid (temperature) · vi lãnh đạm (not very enthusiastic) · kix tānglāmlām (not very enthusiastic) · et leige (temperature) · nl lauw (temperature) · ba йылымса (temperature) · ms suam (temperature) · ba йылымыс (temperature) · no lunken (not very enthusiastic) · ota یوركسز (not very enthusiastic) · id hangat-hangat (temperature) · hi गुनगुना (temperature) · mk млак (temperature) · tr ilgisiz (not very enthusiastic) · ga patuar (not very enthusiastic) · sv ljummen (temperature) · ga bogthe (temperature) · nl lauw (not very enthusiastic) · fr tiède (not very enthusiastic) · ja 生ぬるい (temperature) · ru безразли́чный (not very enthusiastic) · ga fuarspreosach (not very enthusiastic) · eo varmeta (temperature) · vi ấm (temperature) · cs vlažný (temperature) · tl maligamgam (temperature) · ja ぬるい (temperature) · vi âm ấm (temperature) · qu pari (temperature) · oc tèbi (temperature) · cmn 不熱情的 /不热情的 (not very enthusiastic) · te గోరువెచ్చని (temperature) · ca tebi (not very enthusiastic) · io varmeta (temperature) · sk vlažný (not very enthusiastic) · cmn 溫 /温 (temperature) · cs vlažný (not very enthusiastic) · hu langyos (temperature) · fi vaimea (not very enthusiastic) · sv ljum (temperature) · sk vlažný (temperature) · mr कोमट (temperature) · sl mlačen (temperature) · gl morno (not very enthusiastic) · es tibio (temperature) · ar فَاتِر (temperature) · tr ılık (temperature) · it tiepido (not very enthusiastic) · kk қанжылым (temperature) · ga fuarchráifeach (not very enthusiastic) · sv likgiltig (not very enthusiastic) · pt morno (temperature) · rgn tevvd (temperature) · grc χλιαρός (temperature) · io nezeloza (not very enthusiastic) · pt morno (not very enthusiastic) · ca tebi (temperature) · sh mlako (temperature) · th อุ่นๆ (temperature) · mi aromahana (temperature) · fa ولرم (temperature) · de lau (not very enthusiastic) · pl chłodny (not very enthusiastic) · ia tepide (temperature) · ga fuarbhruite (not very enthusiastic) · hu lagymatag (not very enthusiastic) · ja 冷めた (not very enthusiastic) · ru чуть тёплый (temperature) · ru прохла́дный (not very enthusiastic) · eo indiferenta (not very enthusiastic) · nl flauw (not very enthusiastic) · ga alathe (temperature) · kix tānglāmlām (temperature) · egl tevad (temperature) · eo neentuziasma (not very enthusiastic) · gl tépedo (temperature) · ru равноду́шный (not very enthusiastic) · el χλιαρός (temperature) · oc tebés (temperature) · ja 生暖かい (temperature) · ja 気が進まない (not very enthusiastic) · ba имшеү (temperature) · sv ljum (not very enthusiastic) · lv remdens (temperature) · vi thờ ơ (not very enthusiastic) · ary دافي (temperature) · da lunken (temperature) · pl zdystansowany (not very enthusiastic) · gd flodach (temperature) · el χλιαρός (not very enthusiastic) · ja 白けた (not very enthusiastic) · cmn 溫吞 /温吞 (temperature) · yue 溫 /温 (temperature) · ltg rondons (temperature) · fi laimea (not very enthusiastic) · fr tiède (temperature) · pl sceptyczny (not very enthusiastic)