half-assed

adjective

ˈhaf-ˈast 

ˈhäf-ˈäst

variants or less commonly half-ass

ˈhaf-ˈas 

ˈhäf-ˈäs

1

slang, often vulgar : lacking significance, adequacy, or completeness

… a half-assed attempt at generative semantics.

—James D. McCawley

Note how they want and get full credit for every little half-ass act of generosity they perform.

—George Garrett

Several jets were indeed clogged, and it took about five minutes to do a half-assed job of cleaning them out, good enough to get them through until tomorrow and a more thorough cleaning.

—Richard Russo

2

slang, often vulgar : lacking intelligence, character, or effectiveness

… said that the Administration had no intention of allowing "a bunch of half-assed people to send foreigners into combat."

—Seymour M. Hersh

… had been beaten up by every half-assed bully all through his miserable childhood …

—Joseph Wambaugh

half-assed adverb

or less commonly half-ass

slang, often vulgar

It takes most of the day to get the job finished, and we work long after I think we ought to have called it finished, but my father's a perfectionist, and we can't do anything half-assed…

—Stephen Stark

He missed the days when her toenails were half-ass painted, done while they sat together on the couch and watched sitcoms …

—Thelma Adams

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1