halfway

1 of 2

adverb

half·​way ˈhaf-ˈwā How to pronounce halfway (audio)
ˈhäf-
Synonyms of halfwaynext
: midway between two points
At length the cat steps halfway out the door, showing his spotted brown coat and the stripes on his legs.Paul Comstock

halfway

2 of 2

adjective

1
: midway between two points
at the halfway point/mark
2
: partial
a halfway solution

Examples of halfway in a Sentence

Adjective She was leading at the halfway mark of the race. We're halfway toward completing the project. They're only offering halfway measures, not a real solution.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb
Corona Borealis lies roughly halfway between these two prominent stars. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Yet with 11 homers and 46 RBIs through 80 games, Swanson is more than halfway to his fifth 20-homer season and almost halfway to his career-high of 96 RBIs, set during his final season with the Atlanta Braves in 2022. ABC News, 25 June 2026
Adjective
Dude’s pretty darn good with halfway decent quarterback play. Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 24 June 2026 Achraf Hakimi squeezed past Anthony Ralston and a three-v-one situation unfolded as Morocco approached the halfway line. Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for halfway

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English half wey, from half half entry 2 + wey way entry 1

Adjective

derivative of halfway entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of halfway was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Halfway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halfway. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

halfway

adjective
half·​way -ˈwā How to pronounce halfway (audio)
1
: midway between two points
stop at the halfway mark
2
: partial sense 3
halfway measures
halfway adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on halfway

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster