Definition Synonyms
Definition of half - Reverso English Dictionary
Determiner
1.
quantityequal to one of two parts of a whole
- She ate half the cake.
2.
approximationapproximately 50% of a whole
- Half the students were absent today.
Noun
1.
equal divisionone of two equal parts of something
- She ate half of the pizza alone..
2.
sportsUK period in sports gamesUK
- The first half ended with a score of 2-1.
3.
familysibling who shares only one biological parent
- He met his half for the first time.
4.
drink measureUK small beer or cider serving, about 280 millilitresUK
- He ordered a half at the bar.
Adjective
1.
amountequal to 50 percent of something
- The glass is half full.
2.
not wholepartial or incomplete
- He gave a half smile in response..
3.
familyrelated through one common parent
- She is my half sister.
Adverb
1.
partiallypartly or to some extent
- She was only half listening to the teacher.
2.
emphasizingused to emphasize an extreme quality
- He isn't half strong for his age.
Images of half
small beer or cider serving, about 280 millilitres
Expressions with half
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
one's significant other in a relationship
She introduced me to her better half at the party.
person's spouse or romantic partner
He introduced Jane as his other half at the party..
seeing the good in situations
His glass half full perspective helps him stay motivated.
share the cost equally between two people
Let's go half and half on the dinner bill.
small opportunity to do something
If given half a chance, she would travel the world.
moderate inclination to do something
I have half a mind to call her.
large part of achieving a goal
Understanding the problem is half the battle.
only part of the information or truth
What he told you is just half the story.
listen distractedly without paying full attention
She listened with half an ear during the long meeting.
appear extremely tired or unwell
After the long flight, he looked half dead.
quite good or satisfactory
The performance was not half bad, considering the short preparation time..
different lifestyle or conditions of another social group
The book explores how the other half lives in rural areas.
in a way that is much more than needed or wanted
He was too much by half confident in his answer.
used humorously to say something is very expensive
This watch is cheap at half the price, really costly!
minimal amount of intelligence
Anyone with half a brain can do this task.
very short period of time
I'll be with you in half a moment.
a very brief moment
Wait just half a tick before you decide..
minimal attention given to something
He only had half an eye on the game.
rained very heavily or intensely
It didn't half rain during the football match!
person's more virtuous spouse
She is often considered her spouse's better half due to her kindness.
only part of a situation is known
You don't know the half of it.
acts too smart, causing problems or not succeeding
He is too clever by half and it backfires.
starting well makes completing easier
Remember, well begun is half finished when starting your project.
you can't do something halfway
When it comes to honesty, you can't be half pregnant.
Origin of half
Old English, healf (side)
Terms with half included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
math
more than half of a total or group
academic period
half of a school year in the US
number
group containing exactly half a dozen people or things
beverages
glass holding about half a liter of beer
eyes
having eyes half closed to see better
reduction
reduce to half the original amount
sports
golf ball half-buried in sand in a bunker
cooking
cut food almost in half and spread apart
music
lower the pitch of a note by half a tone
frequency
happens about half the time or frequently but not always
swimwear
bottom half of a bikini swimsuit
culinary dish
hard-boiled egg cut in half with seasoned yolk mixture
half-sister
girl or woman who shares one parent
astronomy
the waxing lunar phase with half moon visible
mathematics
made into two equal parts or half the amount
position
lie half-hidden or in shelter
drowsiness
state of being half-asleep
medical
right half of a body or structure
abr: semester
half of a school year or college year
dairy
milk with half the cream removed
voting result
small number more than half in a group or vote
voting group
smallest number more than half needed to win
politics
using decisions based on more than half of the votes
ownership
company owning more than half of another's shares
Examples of half in a sentence
Half the team didn't show up for practice. Half the cake was eaten by the children. She spent half her savings on the new car. He took half of the money. They shared half of the cake. Our team scored twice in the second half.
The coach changed tactics at half. My half lives in another city. She discovered her half through a DNA test. She asked for a half to start the evening. He enjoyed a half with his meal. She ate only half a sandwich for lunch. Half the team was missing at practice. She made a half-hearted attempt to clean the room. The project was only half finished. He is my half brother from my father's side. We share a half sibling through our mother. The curtains were only half drawn, letting in some light. He was half convinced by her argument. She wasn't half excited about the surprise party. The movie wasn't half bad, actually.
View all translations of half
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:demi-, moitié, ...
- German:die halbe, Hälfte, ...
- Italian:metà, mezzo, ...
- Spanish:la mitad, medio, ...
- Portuguese:metade, parte, ...
- Chinese:半, 二分之一, ...
- Japanese:半分, 等しい部分, ...
- Arabic:نِصْف, شَطْر, ...
- Hebrew:חֵצִי, מַחֲצִית, ...
- Russian:половина, тайм, ...
- Ukrainian:половина, тайм, ...
- Hindi:आधा, समान भाग, ...
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