demi-teinte

French

Etymology

First attested in the 17th century. From demi- (“half”) +‎ teinte (“tint, shade”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /də.mi.tɛ̃t/

• Audio (Paris)

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Noun

demi-teinte f (plural demi-teintes)

1. (literal, of a color) a medium shade, neither particularly light nor particularly dark
2. (figurative) something medium, mitigated, nuanced — often used as an adjective with en

   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.