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

The former Pitch Perfect star then listed three half-hearted compliments about the Chiefs and the team’s famously raucous fanbase. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025

The Cardinal cannot botch the hire or make a half-hearted commitment to football. —Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025

Director Kenny Leon’s new production, however, seems caught between reverence for the original source material and a seemingly half-hearted attempt to renovate the setting around which the classic action revolves. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025

That blandness has gone hand in hand with a shifty political opportunism, marked by half-hearted representational milestones—Ariel is Black! —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for half-hearted

• departed
• halfhearted
• imparted
• kindhearted
• lighthearted
• restarted
• uncharted
• warmhearted
• wholehearted
• brokenhearted
• carted
• charted

Kids Definition

halfhearted

adjective

half·​heart·​ed -ˈhärt-əd 

: lacking spirit or interest

halfhearted applause from the audience

halfheartedly adverb

halfheartedness noun