ぬるい

• Reading: ぬるい
• Romaji: nurui
• Pronunciation: /nɯ.ɾɯ.i/

Meaning

Lukewarm; tepid; lenient; lax. Describes water or food that is unpleasantly warm, and metaphorically, rules or people that are insufficiently strict or intense.

An i-adjective describing a temperature neither satisfyingly hot nor refreshingly cold (ぬるいお湯, tepid water), or metaphorically a system or person lacking strictness (ぬるい管理, lax management). In colloquial modern usage, particularly online, ぬるい describes an atmosphere that lacks intensity or urgency — a mild, easy-going environment that can feel frustratingly slack.

Examples

1. お風呂がぬるかったので、追いだきをして温め直した。 The bath was lukewarm, so I reheated it.
2. あの会社のセキュリティ管理はぬるいと以前から指摘されていた。 It's been pointed out for a while now that that company's security management is too lax.
3. ぬるい練習しかしないチームが強くなれるわけがない。 A team that only does half-hearted practice can't possibly get stronger.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday speech, criticism, online commentary

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From Old Japanese ぬるし (to be tepid/warm), related to 温 (nuru, warm). The metaphorical extension to laxness parallels the physical sense of something that should be hotter or stricter than it is.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal