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
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
Tim Burton before all those half-hearted Disney remakes.
—
Constance Grady, Vox, 6 Sep. 2024
Instead, Tales is rendered in cleaner, simpler lines that dovetail with the show’s half-hearted framing device: These adventures are presented as a comic book scribbled by Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), the katana-wielding leader of the gang.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
Youngkin had made half-hearted overtures to the former president on social media and in cable news segments.
—Elizabeth Beyer, USA TODAY, 15 June 2024
The prior Deadpool films were scuzzy and cobbled together, even as the budget grew; the cameos from other Marvel characters felt half-hearted and perfunctory, inclusions for Deadpool to roll his eyes at, not for fans to cheer over.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for half-hearted 
Constance Grady, Vox, 6 Sep. 2024
Instead, Tales is rendered in cleaner, simpler lines that dovetail with the show’s half-hearted framing device: These adventures are presented as a comic book scribbled by Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), the katana-wielding leader of the gang.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
Youngkin had made half-hearted overtures to the former president on social media and in cable news segments.
—Elizabeth Beyer, USA TODAY, 15 June 2024
The prior Deadpool films were scuzzy and cobbled together, even as the budget grew; the cameos from other Marvel characters felt half-hearted and perfunctory, inclusions for Deadpool to roll his eyes at, not for fans to cheer over.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for half-hearted
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'half-hearted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near half-hearted
Cite this Entry
“Half-hearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-hearted. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
halfhearted
adjective
half·heart·ed
-ˈhärt-əd
: lacking spirit or interest
halfhearted applause from the audience
halfheartedly
adverb
halfheartedness
noun
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