What Does "By Halves" Mean?
"By halves" is an English idiom. It means "not fully or properly; incompletely."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "by halves" used in a sentence:- He never does things by halves; when he commits, he gives it his all.
- You can't accomplish this task by doing things by halves.
- She doesn't believe in doing things by halves.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "By Halves" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
A Quick Test
You now know what "by halves" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
- This test has questions.
- A correct answer is worth 5 points.
- You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
- Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
- Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
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Scoring System
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