as in tepid
showing little or no interest or enthusiasm
a halfhearted attempt to clean the house before the arrival of the in-laws
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Recent Examples of halfhearted
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
The closest Alex and Tess get to a custody battle is a halfhearted chat about who gets the armoire.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Musical theater loves a go-getter, and halfhearted irony just can’t stand up to this much zazz.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
He was used to students skipping the readings or making a halfhearted attempt.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
At times, Beijing has taken harsh measures toward North Korea—including temporarily suspending oil shipments, restricting Chinese tourism, and applying financial sanctions to the North—although such efforts have typically been short-lived and halfhearted.
—Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
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
The closest Alex and Tess get to a custody battle is a halfhearted chat about who gets the armoire.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Musical theater loves a go-getter, and halfhearted irony just can’t stand up to this much zazz.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
He was used to students skipping the readings or making a halfhearted attempt.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
At times, Beijing has taken harsh measures toward North Korea—including temporarily suspending oil shipments, restricting Chinese tourism, and applying financial sanctions to the North—although such efforts have typically been short-lived and halfhearted.
—Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halfhearted
Adjective
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The labor market is tepid, inflation is higher than the Fed would like, and the price of oil is spiking because of a war in the Middle East.—
Kathryn Anne Edwards,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
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The tepid support raises the possibility that two Republicans in the race could place first and second in the June primary and advance to the general election.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While Drescher used the Pink Passion shade, there are five other colors to pick from, including a timeless bright red and subtle neutral hue.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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Plus, every piece in the set is easy to assemble, and its neutral hues can work with any space.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In this purple-on-purple preppy look, Lady Di (then a 19-year-old nursery school teacher) seemed sweet—if not a little unenthusiastic about being photographed.—
Natalie Arroyo Camacho,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
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Some advocacy groups are unenthusiastic.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Something tells us from this lukewarm statement that Berklee will do little to allay the fears of students and alumni alike.—
Sharon Adarlo,
Futurism,
15 Apr. 2026
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Mix a mild cleaning solution using lukewarm water and a small amount of gentle soap, such as dish soap.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Halfhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halfhearted. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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