halfhearted

[ haf-hahr-tid, hahf- ]

adjective

1. having or showing little enthusiasm:

   a halfhearted attempt to work.

   Synonyms: perfunctory, cool, cold, uninterested, indifferent

   Antonyms: enthusiastic

Other Words From

• halfhearted·ly adverb
• halfhearted·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of halfhearted¹

First recorded in 1605–15; half + heart + -ed ³

Example Sentences

This halfhearted support is how we end up with bags of grey Skittles being released into the wild because “only one rainbow matters during Pride.”

From Eater

“It’s a halfhearted effort at complying with the governor’s demands as soon as possible,” said Suzie Djidjoli, a speech-language pathologist who was a member of a union bargaining team.

From Washington Post

Obama, the halfhearted visitor, had his face clinched in a frozen smile.

From The Daily Beast

The result is a series of halfhearted reforms by old men in camouflage.

From The Daily Beast

He gave a halfhearted, widely panned speech on the night he finished a distant third in New Hampshire.

From The Daily Beast

The United States will issue a halfhearted rebuke and some useless words about “deploring the deaths” that occurred on the ships.

From The Daily Beast

He began to make a somewhat halfhearted effort to explain what had happened.

From The Daily Beast

At the mouth of the alley stood Charles, wearing a halfhearted VampMob outfit of black t-shirt and jeans and white face-paint.

From Project Gutenberg

Since teachers were either poorly paid or were hacienda guests, they offered halfhearted service.

From Project Gutenberg

Two or three women, far back in the hall, start a halfhearted handclapping.

From Project Gutenberg

And Antony took enough time from Cleopatra's side to make halfhearted preparations to resist.

From Project Gutenberg

The others of the "indigenous" school have proved halfhearted and vague.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lackluster
• listless
• lukewarm
• perfunctory
• tepid