by halves


Imperfectly, reluctantly, or half-heartedly, as in You really can't paint a portrait by halves. [Mid-1500s]

Words Nearby by halves

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.