Unfortunately, the soup is only lukewarm.
Source: tatoeba (692396)
Lukewarm
/ˌlukˈwɔɹm/
Synonyms for "lukewarm" (75 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (15)
Strong matches (23)
Related words (37)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: tepid, aestival, apathetic, apathetic, blood-hot.
- Sentence evidence is available for lukewarm, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "lukewarm".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "lukewarm"
Keep "lukewarm" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "lukewarm" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "lukewarm", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "lukewarm" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesMore specific
1 entriesCollocations
6 entrieslukewarm attitudelukewarm coffeelukewarm endorsementlukewarm receptionlukewarm responselukewarm water
Inflections
2 entriesmore lukewarmmost lukewarm
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
50 translations across 28 languages.
Catalan
1 entries- tebi adj (not very enthusiastic)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 不熱情的 /不热情的 adj (not very enthusiastic)
- 冷淡的 adj (not very enthusiastic)
Czech
1 entries- vlažný adj (not very enthusiastic)
Dutch
2 entries- flauw adj (not very enthusiastic)
- lauw adj (not very enthusiastic)
Esperanto
2 entries- indiferenta adj (not very enthusiastic)
- neentuziasma adj (not very enthusiastic)
Finnish
2 entries- laimea adj (not very enthusiastic)
- vaimea adj (not very enthusiastic)
French
1 entries- tiède adj (not very enthusiastic)
Galician
1 entries- morno adj (not very enthusiastic)
German
1 entries- lau adj (not very enthusiastic)
Greek
1 entries- χλιαρός adj (not very enthusiastic)
Hungarian
1 entries- lagymatag adj (not very enthusiastic)
Ido
1 entries- nezeloza adj (not very enthusiastic)
Interlingua
1 entries- tepide adj (not very enthusiastic)
Irish
4 entries- fuarbhruite adj (not very enthusiastic)
- fuarchráifeach adj (not very enthusiastic)
- fuarspreosach adj (not very enthusiastic)
- lagspreosach adj (not very enthusiastic)
Italian
1 entries- tiepido adj (not very enthusiastic)
Japanese
3 entries- 冷めた adj (not very enthusiastic)
- 気が進まない adj (not very enthusiastic)
- 白けた adj (not very enthusiastic)
Khiamniungan Naga
1 entries- tānglāmlām adj (not very enthusiastic)
Macedonian
1 entries- млак adj (not very enthusiastic)
Norwegian
1 entries- lunken adj (not very enthusiastic)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- یوركسز adj (not very enthusiastic)
Polish
3 entries- chłodny adj (not very enthusiastic)
- sceptyczny adj (not very enthusiastic)
- zdystansowany adj (not very enthusiastic)
Portuguese
1 entries- morno adj (not very enthusiastic)
Russian
3 entries- безразли́чный adj (not very enthusiastic)
- прохла́дный adj (not very enthusiastic)
- равноду́шный adj (not very enthusiastic)
Slovak
1 entries- vlažný adj (not very enthusiastic)
Spanish
4 entries- desinteresado adj (not very enthusiastic)
- indiferente adj (not very enthusiastic)
- poco entusiasta adj (not very enthusiastic)
- tibio adj (not very enthusiastic)
Swedish
2 entries- likgiltig adj (not very enthusiastic)
- ljum adj (not very enthusiastic)
Turkish
3 entries- ilgisiz adj (not very enthusiastic)
- kayıtsız adj (not very enthusiastic)
- umursamaz adj (not very enthusiastic)
Vietnamese
3 entries- hờ hững adj (not very enthusiastic)
- lãnh đạm adj (not very enthusiastic)
- thờ ơ adj (not very enthusiastic)
Sample sentences
15 total sentences available.
The water is lukewarm.
Source: tatoeba (775204)
The coffee is only lukewarm.
Source: tatoeba (800917)
I like hot food, you like cold food, and Jane likes lukewarm food.
Source: tatoeba (1121801)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "lukewarm"?
Closest matches include tepid, aestival, apathetic, apathetic, blood-hot.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "lukewarm"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.