Half

/hæf/

Meaning & Definition

noun
One of two equal parts into which something can be divided.
She ate half of the pizza.
A part that is equal to one of two equal parts.
He gave me half of his sandwich.
The average or mean of two quantities.
The half of their scores contributed to the final grade.
adjective
Consisting of one of two equal parts; divided into halves.
She took a half step back.
Partially; to only some extent.
He was half hearted in his efforts.
adverb
In a manner representing or implying half the amount.
The project is only half finished.
To some extent; partially.
He half listened to the conversation.

Etymology

Old English 'healf', which is related to similar words in other Germanic languages.

Common Phrases and Expressions

half-hearted
Done with little effort or enthusiasm.
half a chance
A very small possibility of success.
half the battle
An important part of achieving something.

Related Words

halves
The plural form of half.
halfway
In the middle; at a point equidistant from two ends.
half-baked
Poorly planned or thought out.

Slang Meanings

Half a dozen
It's the same as six, just a different way to say it.
Half the size
This version of the app is half the size of the original.