halfway

[haf-wey, hahf-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR halfway ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

to half the distance; to midpoint: The rope reaches only halfway.

almost; nearly; just about: He halfway surrendered to their demands.

adjective

midway, as between two places or points.

going to or covering only half or part of the full extent: halfway measures.

Idioms

meet halfway, to compromise with; give in partially to: They didn't comply with all our demands, but met us halfway on the more important points.

Origin of halfway

First recorded in 1350–1400, halfway is from the Middle English word half wei. See half, way¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for halfway

transitional, intermediate, limited, halfway, moderately, partly, somewhat, slightly, partially, heart, midst, intervening, medium, central, center, fair, average, median, middling, standard

Examples from the Web for halfway

Contemporary Examples of halfway

I meet Otis J. the night he arrives at “The Castle,” a West Harlem halfway house for newly-released convicts.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside
Justin Rohrlich
January 3, 2015
Halfway through his second term, Johnson has enjoyed a charmed life.
Boris Johnson’s Churchill Man Crush
Michael F. Bishop
November 22, 2014
Halfway to the park, the hustle of Goma and outlying villages faded behind him.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo
Nina Strochlic
November 6, 2014
Halfway through the game, I was fighting an enormous manta ray sort of thing while on my way to Hell.
Bayonetta Is Nintendo’s Graphic, Ass-Kicking Barbie
Alec Kubas-Meyer
October 24, 2014
But my vote sort of drifted to Zack halfway through the series.
Nigel Lythgoe on How to Save Reality TV, ‘On the Town,’ and ‘Brokeback Ballroom’
Kevin Fallon
October 22, 2014

Historical Examples of halfway

He was not halfway around the house before he heard a voice that chilled him with horror.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Halfway to the trolley line, the dog turned off into a by-road.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
When I was halfway there I caught sight of him staring at the placard.
The Penance of Magdalena and Other Tales of the California Missions
J. Smeaton Chase
"I think I'll get down here," said Renmark, halfway between the two houses.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Halfway up the stretch Allis was riding stirrup to stirrup with her father.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser

British Dictionary definitions for halfway

halfway

adverb, adjective

at or to half the distance; at or to the middle

in or of an incomplete manner or nature

meet halfway to compromise with

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

Word Origin and History for halfway

also half-way, Old English healfweg; see half + way. Halfway house originally was a common name for inns midway between cities or stages.

Idioms and Phrases with halfway

halfway

see go halfway.