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
But each effort is half-hearted and poorly formed outside of Yeoh herself.
—
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
The world's half-hearted responses to Hamas attacks on Israel—calling for Israel to moderate its response after terrorists murdered, kidnapped, and raped—have emboldened terror.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
But then a patient-of-the-week drama gets crashed together with this half-hearted Sherlock mythology and the wheels fall right off.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
In the video, the poster's parents can be heard giving their daughter encouragement, but a conversation between them showed their half-hearted belief in her ability to win.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for half-hearted 
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Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
The world's half-hearted responses to Hamas attacks on Israel—calling for Israel to moderate its response after terrorists murdered, kidnapped, and raped—have emboldened terror.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
But then a patient-of-the-week drama gets crashed together with this half-hearted Sherlock mythology and the wheels fall right off.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
In the video, the poster's parents can be heard giving their daughter encouragement, but a conversation between them showed their half-hearted belief in her ability to win.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for half-hearted
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 22 Feb. 2025.
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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