half-baked
adjective
ˈhaf-ˈbākt 
ˈhäf-
1
a
: poorly developed or carried out
a half-baked idea
half-baked research
b
: lacking adequate planning or forethought
a half-baked scheme for getting rich
c
: lacking in judgment, intelligence, or common sense
2
: imperfectly baked : underdone
Synonyms
- absurd
- asinine
- balmy
- brainless
- bubbleheaded
- cockeyed
- crackpot
- crazy
- cuckoo
- daffy
- daft
- dippy
- dotty
- fatuous
- featherheaded
- fool
- foolish
- half-witted
- harebrained
- inept
- insane
- jerky
- kooky
- kookie
- loony
- looney
- lunatic
- lunkheaded
- mad
- nonsensical
- nutty
- preposterous
- sappy
- screwball
- senseless
- silly
- simpleminded
- stupid
- tomfool
- unwise
- wacky
- whacky
- weak-minded
- witless
- zany
Examples of half-baked in a Sentence
he's always got some half-baked "solution" to a difficult, complex problem
Recent Examples on the Web
As is often the case, Trump accurately diagnosed a fundamental failure of the reigning policy elites, but offered a half-baked solution to the problem.
—
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
Loud, tiresome and half-baked, the off-kilter hilarity and attempts at sentimentality aren’t given much clearance to land, causing the emotional overtones to feel unearned.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
Many critics dismissed it as too frustrating and half-baked though.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Trump’s unfit nominee for Defense secretary gets the benefit of an incomplete, half-baked and secret FBI report, writes columnist Jackie Calmes.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for half-baked 
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Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
Loud, tiresome and half-baked, the off-kilter hilarity and attempts at sentimentality aren’t given much clearance to land, causing the emotional overtones to feel unearned.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
Many critics dismissed it as too frustrating and half-baked though.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Trump’s unfit nominee for Defense secretary gets the benefit of an incomplete, half-baked and secret FBI report, writes columnist Jackie Calmes.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for half-baked
Dictionary Entries Near half-baked
Cite this Entry
“Half-baked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-baked. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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