Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Lukewarm

Luke′warmˊ

(lūk′wa̤rmˊ)
,
Adj.
[See
Luke
.]
1.
Moderately warm; neither cold nor hot; tepid.
2.
Not ardent; not zealous; cool; indifferent.
“ Lukewarm blood.”
Spenser.
“ Lukewarm patriots.”
Addison.
–
Luke′warmˊly
,
adv.
–
Luke′warmˊness
,
Noun.

Webster 1828 Edition

Lukewarm

LU'KEWARM

, a.
1.
Moderately warm; tepid; as lukewarm water; lukewarm heat.
2.
Not ardent; not zealous; cool; indifferent; as lukewarm obedience; lukewarm patriots. Rev. 3.

Definition 2024

lukewarm

lukewarm

English

Adjective

lukewarm ‎(not comparable)

  1. (temperature) Between warm and cool.
    Wash it in lukewarm water.‎
    My curry is lukewarm.‎
  2. (social) Not very enthusiastic (about a proposal or an idea).
    The suggestion met with only a lukewarm response.‎
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 10, in The Celebrity:
      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.

Synonyms

Translations

Etymology

From Middle English lukewarme ‎(“lukewarm, tepid”), equivalent to luke ‎(“lukewarm”) +‎ warm. First element believed to be an alteration of Middle English lew ‎(“tepid”) (> English dialectal lew), from Old English hlēow ‎(“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 lauwarm ‎(“lukewarm”), Faroese lýggjur ‎(“warm”), Swedish ljum ‎(“lukewarm”), ljummen ‎(“lukewarm”) and ly ‎(“warm”), Danish lummer ‎(“muggy”), Danish and Norwegian lunken ‎(“tepid”), Swedish dialectal ljummen ‎(“lukewarm”).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɔː(r)m
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌluːkˈwɔːm/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌlukˈwɔɹm/, /ˈluk.wɔɹm/

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