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Glite Dictionary
by halves

by halves

11 6.5
Done only partly and without full effort
  • idiom
  • UK
translation icon : a medias
  • Since 1980, imports have cut U.S. apparel-industry employment by half, a loss of more than 600,000 jobs.
  • too clever by halves

Examples

  • " And it would cut the time I have to spend with that woman by half.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Is it really justified to cut personnel strength by half and budgets by 25 percent?

    Academic text (1997)

  • The benefit of reducing fuel use by half, though big, was "sort of invisible," he explained.

    Academic text (2004)

  • In 1977, growth in GDP dropped by half and unemployment doubled.

    Academic text (1998)

  • I hope to find a way to reduce today's instructional time by half.

    Academic text (2004)

  • We can cut our energy consumption by half without impinging on our middle-class lifestyles.

    Blog text (26)

  • He approached the project by halves, which led to many errors and misunderstandings.

  • If you want to succeed, you need to stop doing things by halves and commit fully.

  • She doesn't believe in doing things by halves; she's always all in or nothing.

Synonyms

partly
vsby halves
375 1.0

To some extent but not completely

is about being unfinished or not done thoroughly
partially
vsby halves
198 2.4

To some degree but not completely

focuses on lack of fullness rather than effort or feeling
partway
vsby halves
12 3.7

At a point in the middle, not at the start or end

means something done only partly, not a description of timing
halfway
vsby halves
6 2.1

Only partly done and not enough to be complete

describes incomplete result rather than a position in a process
half-heartedly
vsby halves
4 4.3

In a way that shows little interest or energy

refers to doing things incompletely rather than lacking feeling
halfheartedly
vsby halves
3 4.8

In a way that shows little interest or energy

refers to doing things incompletely rather than lacking feeling
incompletely
vsby halves
2 3.4

Partly done and not finished

emphasizes partial completion rather than emotional lack

Antonyms

thoroughly
259 3.5

To do something completely and carefully

wholeheartedly
57 4.6

Completely and sincerely, with full support and no doubts

How Complete

completely
∞ 1.0
mostly
∞ 1.0
by halves
  • UK
11 6.5
not at all
331 1.0

Surface Forms

by halves positive

Morphology

by + half

The core meaning 'partial/incomplete' is signalled by 'half' (a part of a whole) and 'by' as a marker of manner or measure, so a learner can partly infer that 'by halves' means doing something in parts rather than wholly. However, the fixed plural form and the idiomaticized usage (close to 'half‑heartedly' or 'halfway') are not entirely predictable from the constituents alone, so a B1 learner may need exposure to grasp the exact nuance.

Etymology

By halves may come from the image of doing a job in two parts and leaving one part unfinished—like painting only half a fence. That picture shows why the phrase means 'incomplete' or 'not wholehearted'.