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
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
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
His authoritarian moves can be half-baked and primitive, such as the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for releasing economic data that Trump wished were not true.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Beyond that, the software experience feels half-baked, and not fully tailored for this new hardware type.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for half-baked
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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
His authoritarian moves can be half-baked and primitive, such as the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for releasing economic data that Trump wished were not true.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Beyond that, the software experience feels half-baked, and not fully tailored for this new hardware type.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for half-baked
Cite this Entry
“Half-baked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-baked. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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