Jump to content

half-baked

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: halfbaked and half baked

English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From half- +‎ baked.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

half-baked (comparative more half-baked, superlative most half-baked)

  1. (figurative, informal, frequently derogatory) Incomplete.
    1. Of an idea or scheme, not fully planned or carefully considered, ill-conceived, unsound or poorly thought-out.
      Synonyms: half-assed (vulgar), half-cocked (vulgar), dough-baked (dated)
      The guy had some half-baked idea for getting rich in the stock market.
      • 1996, Todd G. Buchholz, From Here to Economy‎[1], Penguin Publishing Group, →ISBN:
        Though Jevons's theory was more than half-baked, it needed more time in the oven, since he forgot to calculate that poor harvests in Asia would hit England only after a time lag.
      • 2013 April 16, Paula Cocozza, “Resignation by cake: the sweetest way to say goodbye”, in The Guardian‎[2], →ISSN:
        A Cambridgeshire man recently gave notice with a message piped on top of a passion cake. A half-baked idea, or a generous parting gift for the office?
    2. Of a person, foolish or having no common sense.
      • 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 592:
        "You're cheap. Cheap education, cheap ideas, a half-baked bloody nobody."
      • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
        She came skipping to me just now, clapping her little hands and bleating about how very, very happy she was, dear Mrs Travers. The silly young geezer. I nearly conked her one with my trowel. I'd always thought her half-baked, but now I think they didn't even put her in the oven.
  2. (informal, figurative) Mildly under the influence (of alcohol).
    Coordinate terms: buzzed, feeling no pain; three sheets to the wind; baked
    If you need to talk to John tonight, try to catch him early in the evening, while he's still only half-baked.
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: Partially cooked by heating in an oven, either as an accidental outcome or as a work in process.
    Near-synonyms: underbaked, dough-baked (dated)
    The casserole was half-baked, but I choked it down anyway to be polite.
    When the casserole is half-baked, get started on preparing the side dishes.

Derived terms

[edit]

Translations

[edit]

See also

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=half-baked&oldid=89636505"