Re: repeatability, if you presented a bunch of people with bowls of soup and asked them to label them as hot, warm, or lukewarm, you would not get perfect conse

Re: repeatability, if you presented a bunch of people with bowls of soup and asked them to label them as hot, warm, or lukewarm, you would not get perfect consensus. However, there would be some consensus. The problem is that the word "warm" can mean a point on a temperature scale as well as a comparable quality. You can use it as a comparative adjective: this soup is warmer than the other soup. You can also use it as a label: this soup is warm. Lukewarm only works as a label and you would not say that the soup is more lukewarm than the other. "Hot" is similar to "warm" in that regard, as it can be used to compare and to label. There are other temperature-related words which are like lukewarm, and can be used to label but not to compare. Scalding is one that comes to mind, and it has antonyms such as frigid.