Tepefy
/ˈtɛpɪfaɪ/noun
To make or become dull, weak, or torpid.
Did you know?Tepefy entered English through Latin tepefacere, literally “to make warm,” showing how a word for gentle heat can evolve into the idea of sluggishness and torpor.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tep-
“to be warm, heat”
Latin
Latin
tepidus
“lukewarm, mildly warm”
Latin
Latin
tepefacere
“to make warm or lukewarm”
Late Latin
Late Latin
tepefierī
“to become lukewarm or dull”
Middle English
English
tepefien
“to become or make dull, sluggish”
Modern English
English
tepefy
“to make or become dull, weak, or torpid”