demi-teinte
French
Etymology
First attested in the 17th century. From demi- (“half”) + teinte (“tint, shade”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /də.mi.tɛ̃t/
Audio (Paris): (file)
Noun
demi-teinte f (plural demi-teintes)
- (literal, of a color) halftone, a medium shade, neither particularly light nor particularly dark
- (figurative) something medium, mitigated, nuanced
- en demi-teinte ― moderate
- C'était un succès en demi-teinte.
- It was a moderate success.
Further reading
- “demi-teinte”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.