Lukewarm

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)m
• UK IPA: /ËŒluːkˈwɔːm/
• US IPA: /ËŒlukˈwɔɹm/, /ˈluk.wɔɹm/

Origin

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").

Full definition of lukewarm

Adjective

1. Of a temperature between warm and cool.Wash it in lukewarm water.
2. Not very enthusiastic (about a proposal or an idea).The suggestion met with only a lukewarm response.

Synonyms

• tepid