half-cocked

adjective

ˈhaf-ˈkäkt How to pronounce half-cocked (audio)
ˈhäf-
Synonyms of half-cockednext
1
: being at half cock
2
: lacking adequate preparation or forethought
go off half-cocked

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-cocked was in 1809

Dictionary Entries Near half-cocked

half cock

half-cocked

half column

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Half-cocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-cocked. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

half-cocked

adjective
-ˈkäkt
: lacking preparation or planning
went off half-cocked

More from Merriam-Webster on half-cocked

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for half-cocked

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of immaculate

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games