and a half
idiom
1
—used in measurements of time, distance, weight, etc., to indicate one half of the stated unit of measurement
My daughter is two and a half (years old).
The fish was a foot and a half long.
weighs ten and a half pounds
2
informal
—used to say that something is very good, large, difficult, etc.
That was a meal and a half!
Renovating a house is a job and a half.
Examples of and a half in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the peak of the Vietnam War, when the draft was still in effect, there were some three and a half million men and women in uniform.
—
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The company has a program called Helping Hands, which allows Xanterra to staff up during the peak tourist season by offering gigs that typically last a month and a half with 30-hour workweeks.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025
Bello Morales is originally from Ecuador and moved to the U.S. one year ago, per the Chicago Sun-Times, and Ubilla-Delgado came to the U.S. from Venezuela about a year and a half ago.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has declared the Palisades and Eaton fires fully contained after nearly three and a half weeks of destruction across Southern California.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for and a half 
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.
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The company has a program called Helping Hands, which allows Xanterra to staff up during the peak tourist season by offering gigs that typically last a month and a half with 30-hour workweeks.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025
Bello Morales is originally from Ecuador and moved to the U.S. one year ago, per the Chicago Sun-Times, and Ubilla-Delgado came to the U.S. from Venezuela about a year and a half ago.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has declared the Palisades and Eaton fires fully contained after nearly three and a half weeks of destruction across Southern California.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for and a half
Dictionary Entries Near and a half
Cite this Entry
“And a half.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/and%20a%20half. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share