half-baked
Meaning
Poorly thought out or incomplete; not fully developed or prepared.
Origin
From baking: something only partly baked is unfinished and unsatisfactory. The figurative sense (“incompletely formed/considered”) has been used since the 19th century.
Notes
A mildly-to-strongly critical adjective for ideas/plans that aren’t well considered. Common in speech and informal writing; can sound harsh if aimed at a person.
Examples
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They rolled out a half-baked plan and had to fix it on the fly.
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That proposal is half-baked—let’s gather more data before deciding.
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I don’t want a half-baked app update that breaks everything for users.
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His half-baked excuse didn’t convince anyone in the meeting.
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The movie had a great premise but the ending felt half-baked.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Used mainly as an adjective: “a half-baked idea/plan,” “the idea is half-baked.” Often hyphenated before a noun (half-baked idea); may be unhyphenated after a verb. Can be intensified (“pretty/really half-baked”).
Synonyms
- ill-conceived
- half-formed
- underdeveloped
- sketchy
- half-cocked
Antonyms
- well-thought-out
- fully formed
- sound
- carefully planned