half-baked

adjective

ˈhaf-ˈbākt How to pronounce half-baked (audio)
ˈhäf-
Synonyms of half-bakednext
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

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
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.
In this promising but ultimately half-baked gory bit of business, a killer (Dacre Montgomery) restages scenes of torture and murder inspired by that film for his serial killing. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 From January to March, half-baked nightmares were indeed buried under a thick haze of post-holiday family fare. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026 Some of the app's settings and tools are half-baked, and their Bluetooth LE Audio support isn’t perfect. Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for half-baked

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-baked was in 1562

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Half-baked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-baked. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

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
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