half a mind

Idioms

An inclination that is not definite or resolute. For example, I've half a mind to drop the course, or He went out with half a mind to walk all the way there. [First half of 1700s] Also see have a good mind to.

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.

Any movie lover with half a mind knows that the auteur theory is bunk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

“I had half a mind to buy it—just for giggles,” Culkin told the audience at the Rosemont Theater in Illinois during a December 2024 appearance, according to the New York Times.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

As they walk through the Mexican capital, they admit to having half a mind to resettle here one day.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

So go ahead and run if you’ve half a mind to .

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2018

I have half a mind to admire his bottomless stupidity.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023