demi-teinte
French
editEtymology
editFirst attested in the 17th century. From demi- (“half”) + teinte (“tint, shade”).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editdemi-teinte f (plural demi-teintes)
- (literal, of a color) a medium shade, neither particularly light nor particularly dark
- (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
edit- “demi-teinte”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.