Standard Lemma guide

halfhearted

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AE1 F HH AA2 R T IH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Lacking full energy, effort, commitment, or resolve.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: half-assed
  • He made a halfhearted attempt to read the chapter before giving up and dozing off.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lukewarm, tepid, adiaphroistic, apathetic, apathistical, blasé, blithe, deaf, cool, shiftless, dispassionate, dull, enervated, gallionic, halfhearted, heartless, impassive, ineffervescible, insouciant, indifferent, insensible, jaded, languid, languorous, Laodicean, lethargic, listless, lackadaisical, lotophagous, meh, mopey, nonchalant, nonplussed, otiose, phlegmatic, pococurante, spiritless, supine, torpid, torpedinous, unaroused, uncaring, unconcerned, unenthusiastic, unimpressible, uninterested, unlively, unmoved, untouched, unzealous, world-weary, half-assed

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Lacking in heart or beneficence; ungenerous; unkind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heartless, mean-spirited, inconsiderate, insensitive, halfhearted, mean, merciless, petty, pitiless, poor-spirited, ruthless, thoughtless, tight, surly, uncaring, unfriendly, ungrateful, unkind, unkindly, unthinking

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a halfhearted effort
  • gave only lukewarm support to the candidate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: half-hearted, tepid, lukewarm

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From half + hearted.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تعوزه الحماسَة — lacking full energy
  • Arabic: مفتقر إلى الحماسَة — lacking full energy
  • Bulgarian: апатичен (apatičen) — lacking full energy
  • Bulgarian: равнодушен (ravnodušen) — lacking full energy
  • Dutch: halfhartig — lacking full energy
  • Dutch: halfslachtig — lacking full energy
  • Finnish: puolivillainen — lacking full energy
  • Finnish: puolinainen — lacking full energy
  • Finnish: laimea — lacking full energy
  • Finnish: penseä — lacking full energy
  • Finnish: välinpitämätön — lacking full energy
  • French: mou — lacking full energy
  • French: peu enthousiaste — lacking full energy
  • German: halbherzig — lacking full energy
  • Irish: fuarbhruite — lacking full energy
  • Italian: fiacco — lacking full energy
  • Italian: incerto — lacking full energy
  • Māori: waimori — lacking full energy
  • Norwegian Bokmål: halvhjertet — lacking full energy
  • Norwegian Bokmål: halvhjerta — lacking full energy
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: halvhjarta — lacking full energy
  • Polish: na pół gwizdka — lacking full energy
  • Spanish: sin gana — lacking full energy
  • Swedish: halvhjärtad — lacking full energy
  • Tagalog: tambisi — lacking full energy
  • Turkish: isteksiz — lacking full energy
  • Turkish: gönülsüz — lacking full energy