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
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
Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halfhearted
Adjective
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Imagine a commissioner being called out like that directly and that timid, tepid statement.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Global consumer textile demand is affected by macroeconomic conditions, and the outlook for world GDP growth has been tepid since the benefits of stimulus faded with inflation and higher interest rates.—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The federal probation department, considered a more neutral arbiter, recommended a sentence of 70 to 87 months in prison.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
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The National Alliance to End Homelessness took a neutral position on the bill.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cracker Barrel statement doesn't satisfy naysayers Reactions to the announcement were largely unenthusiastic, with many fans accusing the chain of ignoring their concerns and calling for a return to the old brand design.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
26 Aug. 2025
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There's only so much one can glean from the preseason, but performance reviews for Maye have been unenthusiastic at best.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Trump looks like Netanyahu blindsided him, Netanyahu is forced to apologize, and Qatar restores Israel to its lukewarm graces.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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October is typically a lukewarm month for the stock market.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Halfhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halfhearted. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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