half-baked

adjective

ˈhaf-ˈbākt How to pronounce half-baked (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And even Floria’s strenuous relationship with her children is barely an afterthought, with one scene that could conceivably serve as a pressure point offering little more than half-baked exposition. Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2025 While examples of government waste by California politicians and bureaucrats are legion, nothing beats HSR for wasting billions for a project that wasn’t even half-baked at inception. Jon Coupal, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2025 There’s a lot of false symbolism and false activism, and there’s a lot of people who really capitalize on this half-baked symbolism without deliverables. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025 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 See all Example Sentences for half-baked 

Word History

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-baked was in 1621

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 21 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

half-baked

adjective
-ˈbākt
1
a
: poorly developed or carried out
a half-baked plan
b
: lacking in judgment or common sense
half-baked ideas
2
: imperfectly baked : underdone
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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