half-cocked

[ haf-kokt, hahf- ]
See synonyms for half-cocked on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. (of a firearm) at the position of half cock.

  2. lacking mature consideration or enough preparation; ill-considered or ill-prepared; half-baked.

Idioms about half-cocked

  1. go off half-cocked, to act or happen prematurely: He went off half-cocked and told everyone the news.: Also go off at half cock.

Origin of half-cocked

1
First recorded in 1800–10

Words Nearby half-cocked

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use half-cocked in a sentence

  • Tempers will go off half-cocked even among men of good habit.

    The Armed Forces Officer | U. S. Department of Defense
  • Thoroughness is the way of duty, rather than a speed which goes off half-cocked.

    The Armed Forces Officer | U. S. Department of Defense

British Dictionary definitions for half-cocked

half-cocked

adjective
  1. (of a firearm) at half-cock

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