half-serious
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the unfiltered Linda, Ms. Gangel might almost have been cast for her Hepburnesque, chisel-sharp cheekbones, but she brings wry humor to Linda’s half-serious, or mostly serious, critiques of the Seton ethos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
And so, while the idea for the event started with a half-serious tweet earlier this year, it quickly won the backing of seven universities across Australia and New Zealand.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2023
“This is how I’m coping with disappointment,” he says, half-serious.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2019
His early talk on tariffs was so combative that Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, said at the time, “If he’s even half-serious, this is nuts.”
From New York Times ● May 22, 2018
It got to the point that Trapper, half- joking, half-serious, posted updates on Crow outside the trainer’s office.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.