half-baked

adjective

ˈhaf-ˈbākt 

ˈhäf-

1

a

: poorly developed or carried out

a half-baked idea

half-baked research

b

: lacking adequate planning or forethought

a half-baked scheme for getting rich

c

: lacking in judgment, intelligence, or common sense

2

: imperfectly baked : underdone

Synonyms of half-baked

• stupid
• foolish
• silly
• absurd
• insane
• mad
• crazy
• idiotic

Examples of half-baked in a Sentence

he's always got some half-baked "solution" to a difficult, complex problem

Recent Examples on the Web

Artists who speak out against this use also typically wind up spawning a gleeful response from the admin, usually filled with lots of half-baked wordplay. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026

And if the league follows through on its threats to deter tanking, they will be trapped in a half-baked plan without any exit routes. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026

Another half-baked idea: the report proposes that stay-at-home parents be able to access the same child-care subsidies as working parents. —Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026

Nevertheless, Hollywood could soon notice an AI backlash that hurts its bottom line so long as studios are pushing it as both a half-baked dramatic theme and a transformative tool. —Miles Klee, Wired News, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for half-baked

• ached
• baked
• braked
• caked
• faked
• flaked
• quaked
• raked
• slaked
• snaked
• staked
• waked

Kids Definition

half-baked

adjective

-ˈbākt

1

a

: poorly developed or carried out

a half-baked plan

b

: lacking in judgment or common sense

half-baked ideas

2

: imperfectly baked : underdone