Halfway — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective /ˈhaf-ˈwā/ half·way

Meaning & Definition of Halfway

Halfway (adverb)

  1. midway between two points

Halfway (adjective)

  1. midway between two points
  2. partial

Halfway (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in some measure or degree

    "that was a halfway decent performance of a difficult piece"

    similar: half, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway, in part
    related: fragmentarily, enough, fairly, kindly (chiefly Southern), kind of, like, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of
    opposite: all, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, perfectly, quite, totally, utterly, wholly
    near: absolutely, dead, downright, plain, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, greatly, highly, hugely, particularly, very

Halfway (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking some necessary part

    "when halfway measures, such as posting signs, failed to keep people off the property, a fence was erected"

    similar: deficient, fragmental, fragmentary, half, incomplete, partial
    related: broken, damaged, flawed, impaired, imperfect, injured, marred, spoiled, sketchy, unassembled, uncompleted, unfinished
    opposite: complete, entire, full, intact, integral, perfect, whole
    near: flawless, unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, completed, finished

  2. occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes

    "by the time she had reached the halfway point, she was ready to quit the marathon"

    similar: central, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, middle, midmost
    related: equidistant, inmost, inner, innermost, nearest, betwixt and between, borderline, gray, in-between
    opposite: extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost
    near: outer, peripheral

Related Entry: Halfway house (noun)

Halfway house is a different word from Halfway. The synonyms below are for halfway house, not for halfway.

  1. as in home

    similar: home, hospice, sanatorium, sanitarium, sanitorium, sickroom, clinic, hospital, infirmary, medical center, sick bay

Related Entry: Halfway houses (noun)

Halfway houses is a different word from Halfway. The synonyms below are for halfway houses, not for halfway.

  1. as in homes

    similar: homes, hospices, sanatoriums, sanitaria, sanitoria, sickrooms, clinics, hospitals, infirmaries, medical centers, sick bays

Related Entry: Meet (verb)

Meet is a different word from Halfway. The synonyms below are for meet, not for halfway.

  1. to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face

    "we never once met another car on that lonely country road"

    similar: catch, chance (upon), encounter, happen (upon), stumble (upon), bump into, cross paths (with), run across, run into, run upon
    related: accost, confront, face, greet, salute, collide (with), crash (into), crisscross, cross, pass, hit (upon), light (upon), tumble (to), reencounter, remeet
    near: avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, evade, shake, shun

  2. to come together into one body or place

    "we'll meet for dinner, with a discussion to follow, next week"

    similar: assemble, cluster, collect, concenter, concentrate, conglomerate, congregate, convene, converge, forgather, gather, rendezvous, get together
    related: affiliate, ally, associate, band (together), caucus, club, collaborate, confederate, conjoin, consolidate, consort, cooperate, couple, federate, gang up, join, merge, unite, reassemble, reconvene, regather, remeet
    opposite: break up, disband, disperse, split (up)
    near: depart, leave, take off, disjoin, dissociate, disunite

  3. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "met her future husband at a party"

    similar: chance (upon), encounter, find, happen (on or upon), hit (upon), light (on or upon), pitch (upon), stumble (on or onto), tumble (upon), bump into, come across, run across, run against, run into, run upon
    related: luck (out, on, onto, or into), confront, face, discover, strike, turn up

  4. to do what is required by the terms of

    "a financially struggling city trying to meet its loans"

    similar: answer, complete, comply (with), fill, fulfill, keep, redeem, satisfy, abide by, make good
    related: conclude, consummate, finalize, finish, perfect, accomplish, achieve, bring about, bring off, carry out, effect, commit, compass, discharge, execute, follow through (with), make, perform
    opposite: breach, break, transgress, violate
    near: default (on), disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

  5. to enter into contest or conflict with

    "the up-and-coming boxer will meet the reigning champ for the first time tomorrow"

    similar: battle, encounter, engage, face, take on
    related: emulate, rival, contend, fight, oppose
    near: elude, escape, evade, retreat

  6. to produce something equal to (as in quality or value)

    "I'll meet your bet, nay, I'll even raise it"

    similar: equal, match, tie
    related: beat, better, eclipse, excel, outdistance, outdo, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, amount (to), approach, touch, approximate, keep up, measure up (to), parallel, rival, stack up (against or with)

  7. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "trying to meet the challenge of going to college while working at a full-time job"

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  8. to give what is owed for

    "I paid a portion of the long-distance bill to keep my carrier from cutting off service until I can meet the remainder of the charges"

    similar: ante (up), balance, clear, discharge, foot, liquidate, pay, pay off, pay up, pony up, quit, recompense, settle, spring (for), stand
    opposite: repudiate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Halfway

The most common words with a similar meaning to Halfway:

half, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway, in part, deficient, fragmental, fragmentary, incomplete, partial, central, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, middle, midmost

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Halfway

Words with the opposite meaning of Halfway:

all, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, perfectly, quite, totally, utterly, wholly, complete, entire, full, intact, integral, perfect, whole, extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost

Related Words for Halfway

fragmentarily, enough, fairly, kindly, kind of, like, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of, broken, damaged, flawed, impaired, imperfect, injured, marred, spoiled, sketchy, unassembled, uncompleted, unfinished, equidistant, inmost, inner

Near Antonyms of Halfway

absolutely, dead, downright, plain, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, greatly, highly, hugely, particularly, very, flawless, unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, completed, finished, outer, peripheral

Origin & Etymology of Halfway

Middle English half wey, from half half:2 + wey way:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Halfway

Words & Phrases Containing Halfway

halfway house, halfway decent, halfway through, meet halfway

Frequently Asked Questions about Halfway

What does "Halfway" mean?

"Halfway" means midway between two points. As an an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: midway between two points. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Halfway"?

Other words for "Halfway" include half, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway, in part and deficient. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Halfway" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Halfway"?

There are 58 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Halfway". Common alternatives include half, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway, in part, deficient, fragmental and fragmentary.

What is the opposite of "Halfway"?

Antonyms of "Halfway" include all, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, perfectly, quite and totally. Near antonyms include absolutely, dead, downright and plain.

How do you use "Halfway" in a sentence?

Examples of "Halfway" in a sentence: "that was a halfway decent performance of a difficult piece"; "when halfway measures, such as posting signs, failed to keep people off the property, a fence was erected"; "by the time she had reached the halfway point, she was ready to quit the marathon".

Is "Halfway" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Halfway" can be used as an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Halfway" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Halfway" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Halfway"?

"Halfway" is pronounced /ˈhaf-ˈwā/ and divided into syllables as half·way.