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British

half-assed

[ haf-ast, hahf- ]

/ ˈhæfˈæst, ˈhɑf- /

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See synonyms for half-assed on Thesaurus.com

adjective Slang: Vulgar.

insufficient or haphazard; not fully planned or developed.

incompetent; lacking sufficient ability or knowledge.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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Origin of half-assed

First recorded in 1960–65; half + ass² + -ed³

Words nearby half-assed

Half a loaf is better than none, half a mind, half-and-half, half-arsed, half-asleep, half-assed, half-awake, halfback, half-baked, half-ball, half bath

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use half-assed in a sentence

The video does include a few half-assed shots of a wolf (though he HARDLY looks dire).
Stars, They’re Obsessed with ‘Game of Thrones’ Just Like Us!|Amy Zimmerman|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What a throwaway, half-assed response devoid of any sort of research.
Macklemore, the Grammy Winning Rapper, Is a 9/11 Truther Who Likes to Play Anti-Semitic Dress-Up|Emily Shire, Marlow Stern|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Somers has gotten a lot of flak for her crazy assertions and half-assed medical theories.
Suzanne Somers’s 13 Craziest Quotes: Sex, Adam Lanza, Patrick Swayze, and More|Amy Zimmerman|October 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was “half-assed,” observes a Middle East insider close to the administration.
Why Obama Will Ignore Israel|Peter Beinart|December 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Instead, the studio got a half-assed explanation: “No points for early,” I argue.
‘White Collar’ Creator Jeff Eastin: My Biggest Con|Jeff Eastin|July 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I didn't do it, and I can beat any case that half-assed ex-ambulance-chaser, Farnsworth, could dream up against me.
Murder in the Gunroom|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for half-assed

half-assed

adjective US and Canadian slang

incompetent; inept

lacking efficiency or organization

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012