half

noun · adjective · adverb

Simple meaning

One of two equal parts of a divisible whole.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

haf

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

hæf

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

One of two equal parts of a divisible whole
One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.
sports
One of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval
sports
One of two equal periods into which a game is divided.
sports
One of the two opposite parts of the playing field of various sports, in which each starts the game.
british
Half a pint of beer or cider. (Refusing a pint) Just a half, thank you. (Offering to top up a pint glass) Do you want a half in that? (Minimizing the amount of drink taken) A swift half at the Pear Tree.

adjective

Consisting of some indefinite portion resembling a half; approximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect.
of a sibling
Having one parent (rather than two) in common.
of siblings
Related through one parent only
of a relative other than a sibling
Related through one common grandparent or ancestor rather than two.

adverb

In two equal parts or to an equal degree.
Partially; imperfectly.
Practically, nearly.
In some part approximating a half.
Partially or to the extent of a half
“He was half hidden by the bushes.”

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: A1 · Beginner
Frequency: Very Common
Typical Use: Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: One of two equal parts of a divisible whole

Used this way, half is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Moderately common
Connotation: Matter-of-fact
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use half

“He was half hidden by the bushes.”adverb

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Two

half hourhalf century

Other combinations

first halfsecond halfhalf dozenhalf yearslatter halfhalf million

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

half bootnounCompound term
A boot reaching halfway up to the knee.
half-brothernounCompound term
A brother who has only one parent in common with you.
half-centurynounCompound term
A period of 50 years.
half-cocknounCompound term
Confusion resulting from lack of preparation.
half cross stitchnounCompound term
A single cross stitch at a diagonal.
half crownnounCompound term
An English coin worth half a crown.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

halfwayadverbRelated term
At half the distance.
halftimenounRelated term
An intermission between the first and second half of a game.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

quarternoun
milenoun
minutenoun
dollarnoun

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.