half-hearted
adjective
half-heart·ed
ˈhaf-ˈhär-təd 
ˈhäf-
variants
or halfhearted
: lacking heart, spirit, or interest
a half-hearted effort
halfhearted applause
half-heartedly
adverb
or halfheartedly
half-heartedness
noun
or halfheartedness
Examples of half-hearted in a Sentence
a halfhearted attempt to clean the house before the arrival of the in-laws
Recent Examples on the Web
There are some clumsy, half-hearted escape attempts.
—
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 May 2024
This day, laden with expectation and excitement, deserves more than a half-hearted card or a generic box of chocolates.
—Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2024
So far, post-credits teasers bridging Sony’s spin-offs to Disney’s own continuity via interdimensional travel have been seen as half-hearted and, ultimately, unsuccessful.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
The chiding between the two plays like a half-hearted version of Taika Waititi snark.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023
No hybrid-shoe drag or half-hearted attempts to traverse iffy terrain here.
—Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2023
Nobody on screen is giving a half-hearted effort or going through the motions.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2023
For their part, Mal and May made half-hearted efforts at percussion.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023
His half-hearted attempt to apologize on a celebrity talk show only digs him in deeper.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 Oct. 2023
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 May 2024
This day, laden with expectation and excitement, deserves more than a half-hearted card or a generic box of chocolates.
—Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2024
So far, post-credits teasers bridging Sony’s spin-offs to Disney’s own continuity via interdimensional travel have been seen as half-hearted and, ultimately, unsuccessful.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
The chiding between the two plays like a half-hearted version of Taika Waititi snark.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023
No hybrid-shoe drag or half-hearted attempts to traverse iffy terrain here.
—Isaiah Freeman-Schub, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2023
Nobody on screen is giving a half-hearted effort or going through the motions.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2023
For their part, Mal and May made half-hearted efforts at percussion.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023
His half-hearted attempt to apologize on a celebrity talk show only digs him in deeper.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'half-hearted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near half-hearted
Cite this Entry
“Half-hearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-hearted. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
halfhearted
adjective
half·heart·ed
-ˈhärt-əd
: lacking spirit or interest
halfhearted applause from the audience
halfheartedly
adverb
halfheartedness
noun
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