Synonyms of halfhearted

halfhearted

adjective

ˈhaf-ˈhär-təd 

as in tepid

showing little or no interest or enthusiasm

a halfhearted attempt to clean the house before the arrival of the in-laws

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tepid
• neutral
• unenthusiastic
• lukewarm
• perfunctory
• icy
• chilly
• cold
• frigid
• disinterested
• uneager
• uninterested
• dispassionate
• apathetic
• lackadaisical
• listless
• chill
• indifferent
• unresponsive
• uncaring
• cool
• emotionless
• impassive
• languid
• unemotional
• undemonstrative
• unsympathetic
• unfriendly
• unfeeling
• glacial
• frosty
• wintry

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enthusiastic
• wholehearted
• warm
• eager
• passionate
• hearty
• intense
• ardent
• impassioned
• vehement
• keen
• exuberant
• feverish
• fervid
• engaged
• fiery
• avid
• interested
• red-hot
• ready
• willing
• engrossed
• gung ho
• hot-blooded
• friendly
• cordial
• agog
• raring
• genial
• warmhearted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of halfhearted

China saw little advantage, no matter which party came out ahead, and engaged in only sloppy, halfhearted online propaganda. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

But when Kore-eda’s execution isn’t as assured, as is the case with his latest, all that delicacy simply floats off into the ether, rarely amounting to much more than a halfhearted shrug. — Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Serena looked down, heaved a sigh and hooked her knee around the pole before mustering up a halfhearted spin. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

In a game that Switzerland dominated for the majority of the time, only some halfhearted chants by the Swiss superfans in the second deck cut through. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026

And those problems are magnified in the slack middle section of this 160-minute film, as the hunters make discoveries of their own in the forest, unnecessary subplots and aliens multiply, and there are some halfhearted attempts at giving them a thin backstory. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 May 2026

Through all these threads, The Audacity throws itself headlong at some of tech’s biggest hot-button topics, including privacy, AI and, in an oddly halfhearted subplot involving JoAnne’s son, Everett Bliunck’s Orson, the manosphere, with an eye as cold as its characters. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026

Alex Bregman was the one who got away, the All-Star third baseman the club tried to sign in spring training with a halfhearted contract proposal that would be rejected. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026

Musical theater loves a go-getter, and halfhearted irony just can’t stand up to this much zazz. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025