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
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
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
-
Rinse with tepid water and a rag or sponge.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Maximum lethality, not tepid legality.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This neutral boundary-setting phrase avoids unnecessary over-explaining.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Up against one of the game’s best servers, the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, Świątek’s lack of a release valve in tight moments and access to free points in more neutral ones led to a 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal defeat.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The administration of President Donald Trump is unenthusiastic about EVs compared the previous Biden administration.—
Bill Koenig,
Forbes.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Kat Dorn, a makeup artist at LRN Beauty, recommends mixing this cleaning solution with a little lukewarm water and patting the brushes dry with a paper towel.—
Taryn Brooke,
Glamour,
22 Jan. 2026
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Although critics were lukewarm on the film itself, Hudson is now one step closer to Jackman’s prophecy after steadily building momentum in recent weeks with Golden Globe, Actor Awards and now Oscar nominations.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Halfhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halfhearted. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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