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

Synonyms

• lukewarm
• tepid
• uneager
• unenthusiastic

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 the suspense is half-hearted, and the picture’s vaporous approach to incident remains. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

Thug falls into a half-hearted romance with a similarly unnamed character credited as Woman (Yolonda Ross), after knocking out her abusive boyfriend with a single punch in a local bar. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024

Don’t bother trying to engage in half-hearted, superficial or shallow conversations. —Athena Sobhan, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024

The status quo of half-hearted diplomacy in the Pacific will not suffice at a time when China is ramping up its presence in the region. —Charles Edel, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

halfhearted

adjective

half·​heart·​ed -ˈhärt-əd 

: lacking spirit or interest

halfhearted applause from the audience

halfheartedly adverb

halfheartedness noun