English Explanatory Dictionary

lukewarm

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Between warm and cool.
  2. Unenthusiastic (about a proposal or an idea).

Pronunciation

/ˌluːkˈwɔːm/ /ˌlukˈwɔɹm/ /ˈluk.wɔɹm/ en-us-lukewarm.ogg

Word forms

lukewarm lukewarmer more lukewarm lukewarmest most lukewarm

Etymology

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”).

Synonyms

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

Derived words

lukecold lukecool lukewarmish lukewarmism lukewarmist lukewarmly lukewarmness lukewarmth

Translations

Catalan: tebi Chinese Mandarin: 不熱情的 /不热情的 Chinese Mandarin: 冷淡的 Czech: vlažný Dutch: lauw Dutch: flauw Esperanto: indiferenta Esperanto: neentuziasma Finnish: vaimea Finnish: laimea French: tiède Galician: morno German: lau Greek: χλιαρός Hungarian: lagymatag Ido: nezeloza Interlingua: tepide Irish: fuarbhruite Irish: fuarspreosach Irish: lagspreosach Irish: patuar Irish: fuarchráifeach Italian: tiepido Japanese: 冷めた Japanese: 白けた Japanese: 気が進まない Macedonian: млак Khiamniungan Naga: tānglāmlām Norwegian: lunken Polish: chłodny Polish: sceptyczny Polish: zdystansowany Portuguese: morno Russian: прохла́дный Russian: равноду́шный Russian: безразли́чный Slovak: vlažný Spanish: tibio Spanish: poco entusiasta Spanish: desinteresado Spanish: indiferente Swedish: ljum Swedish: likgiltig Turkish: umursamaz Turkish: ilgisiz Turkish: kayıtsız Ottoman Turkish: یوركسز Vietnamese: thờ ơ Vietnamese: lãnh đạm Vietnamese: hờ hững
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