half-ass

See also: half ass

English

Alternative forms

half-arse (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)

Etymology

From half +‎ -ass, see half-assed.

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhæfæs/

Adjective

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

(sometimes considered, vulgar, slang) Produced in an incompetent or desultory manner, or of something lacking in quality or substance; of low rank; incompetent.
Synonym: half-assed

Coordinate terms: quarter-assed, whole-ass
- 1969, The End of the Road by John Barth (page 155)
  the only abortion she could get even in the city would be a half-ass job by some half-ass doctor who could mess her up for the rest of her life

Translations

produced in an incompetent manner

Finnish: puolivillainen (fi)
Italian: fatto col culo m (literally “made with the ass”) (vulgar)
Polish: na pół gwizdka (pl) (not vulgar)
Portuguese: feito nas coxas (pt) (informal), meia-boca (pt) (informal)
Russian: тяп-ляп (ru) (tjap-ljap) (colloquial), на отъебись (ru) (na otʺjebisʹ) (vulgar), через жопу (ru) (čerez žopu) (vulgar)
Spanish: chapucero (es), cutre (es), fulastre (es)

Verb

half-ass (third-person singular simple present half-asses, present participle half-assing, simple past and past participle half-assed)

(slang, sometimes considered, vulgar, transitive) To perform a task incompletely or carelessly.
Coordinate terms: quarter-ass, whole-ass

Near-synonyms: phone in, shortchange, underdo
- 1999, W. Peter Iliff, Varsity Blues, spoken by Mox (James Van Der Beek):
  Now, we go out there and we half-ass it because we're scared, all we're left with is an excuse. We're always gonna wonder. But, we go out there and we give it absolutely everything… that's heroic.
- 2002, Guardians of the Eagle by John D. Messer (page 102)
  if you're working for me and I send you to do a job and you half-ass it, that reflects on me. In civilian life, we'd just fire you. Here I can't get rid of you.

Translations

to perform a task incompletely or carelessly

French: bâcler (fr)
Portuguese: fazer nas coxas (pt)
Russian: халтурить (ru) (xalturitʹ)
Spanish: chapucear (es), chambonear (es), chancar (es) (Bolivia), machetear (es), emburrar (es)