half-assed

[haf-ast, hahf-]

adjective

Slang: Vulgar.

1. insufficient or haphazard; not fully planned or developed.

2. incompetent; lacking sufficient ability or knowledge.

half-assed

adjective

1. incompetent; inept

2. lacking efficiency or organization

Word History and Origins

Origin of half-assed¹

First recorded in 1960–65; half + ass ² + -ed ³

Related Words

• aimless 
• arbitrary 
• careless 
• casual 
• desultory 
• disorganized 
• erratic 
• helter-skelter 
• indiscriminate 
• offhand 
• random 
• slapdash 
• uncoordinated