Idioms

half-baked

This page is about the idiom half-baked

INFORMAL

Meaning

If something is half-baked, it hasn't been properly thought out or planned.

For example

  • The trouble with Mick is that some of his ideas are good, but a lot of them are half-baked and can't be used.

  • Editing a student newspaper is difficult because I get a lot of half-baked poems and stories from the kids, and they get upset if I don't publish them.

Origin: Probably metaphorical, from the fact that if something is being cooked in an oven, or baked, it'll be half-baked if it's taken out of the oven too soon, and it won't be worth eating.

Quick Quiz

Jerry has come up with another of his half-baked schemes to make millions of dollars, but it

a. needs more baking

b. can't possibly work

c. will work for sure
a) needs more baking b) can't possibly work c) will work for sure

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Common English Idioms

Contributor: Matt Errey