half volley
noun
(in tennis, racquets, etc.) a stroke in which the ball is hit the moment it bounces from the ground.
Jump To:
-
half volley
-
half-volley
half-volleyverb (used with or without object)to make or stroke with a half volley.
half volley
1 Americannoun
half-volley
2
American
[haf-vol-ee, hahf-]
/ ˈhæfˌvɒl i, ˈhɑf- /
verb (used with or without object)
half-volleyed,
half-volleying
half volley
British
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of half volley1
First recorded in 1875–80
Origin of half-volley2
First recorded in 1870–75
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.
See Examples For:
Fifty thousand held their collective breath as the leather of McTominay's boot struck on the half volley.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2023
Kane fired wide on the half volley soon after before he made a costly error to allow the away side to double its advantage in the 73rd.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 1, 2023
Moments later, the Rangers captain had Alnwick at full stretch to parry away a half volley before Morelos and Arfield passed up chances to add a third.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2021
Eventually the ball fell to Williams, who fired a 12-yard half volley inside the far post.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2021
There followed an awkward silence, which Mike broke by remarking that he had carted a half volley from Saunders over the on-side hedge that morning.
From Mike and Psmith by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
Lisandro Martinez: Well-struck half-volley drew an excellent save out of Leno.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Hato's half-volley from just inside the area whistled into the top corner, earning the teenage defender a thumbs-up from Rosenior.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
But Cherki crushed their hopes as he slammed home a half-volley, drilling the ball from the edge of the box through the legs of Gibbs-White.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
The goal came from a half-volley inside the box by Brazilian Alemao to make the score 2-1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025
I raise my bat, get it on the half-volley right in the middle, hit it clean over the Pavilion for six, and the match is won.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, June 4, 1919. by Various
He was replaced by Munir, and the change paid off when the Moroccan forward half-volleyed the winner past West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on the stroke of the hour.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2022
Sahin’s floated cross was a beauty and Aubameyang’s first-time half-volleyed finish was underscored by class of his highest order.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 13, 2017
A half-volleyed blast by Gary Cahill with nine minutes remaining in the 81st minute was a gem, too, and the score looked poised to serve as the decider.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2015
Bradley opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he half-volleyed a cross from Graham Zusi into the net from the back post.
From Reuters ● Apr. 3, 2014
Jamie O'Hara plays a gorgeous half-volleyed pass from the edge of his own box to send Nadir Belhadj racing away down the left.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2010
Pulisic got there first, half-volleying it an instant before the heavy collision.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 30, 2022
Against Djokovic last week, Federer added a new twist: He kamikaze-rushed second serves, almost half-volleying them on his way to the net, an ambush tactic that gave the Serb fits.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 28, 2015
Stephen Dobbie, signed on loan from Brighton last month, almost opened his Palace account on the half-hour, half-volleying goalkeeper Jason Steele's clearance narrowly wide from 35 yards.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 16, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
