halfway

American  

[haf-wey, hahf-] / ˈhæfˈweɪ, ˈhɑf- /

adverb

1. to half the distance; to midpoint.

   The rope reaches only halfway.

2. almost; nearly; just about.

   He halfway surrendered to their demands.

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adjective

1. midway, as between two places or points.

2. going to or covering only half or part of the full extent.

   halfway measures.

idioms

1. meet halfway, to compromise with; give in partially to.

   They didn't comply with all our demands, but met us halfway on the more important points.

halfway British  

/ ˌhɑːfˈweɪ /

adverb

1. at or to half the distance; at or to the middle

2. in or of an incomplete manner or nature

3. to compromise with

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halfway More Idioms  

1. see go halfway.

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Etymology

Origin of halfway

First recorded in 1350–1400, halfway is from Middle English half wei. See half, way ¹

Explanation

When you're halfway, you're at the middle point of something. If you pause to catch your breath halfway up a hill, you still have half the hill left to climb. You can make it halfway along a marathon route, or 13 miles, and you can also make it halfway through your book before you fall asleep. You might only make it halfway through an enormous slice of cake, or halfway through math class before you start to nod off. A halfway house, originally an inn between two cities, but today it's a place where released criminals or recovered addicts can live while they get back on their feet.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

halfway

At the halfway mark of the Olympic quadrennial, Truwit is already dreaming about L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

From 1 October, most prisoners serving fixed-term sentences will be released after serving a third of their sentence, instead of the current 40% or halfway point in place for most offences.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Dressed in a shabby old coat and chic beret—“a look halfway between woman of mystery and lobster fisher”—Nora aims to thwart a dangerous psychopath while protecting the policeman with whom she’s increasingly smitten.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Glinting in the night, halfway up a hill in Japan, the greenhouse-like "Ku-An" test lab is lit by electricity harnessed from 1,500 wooden boxes of soil and compost.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

At the far end of the park, a bouncy house is halfway blown up, and there’s a line of children waiting for a turn.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller