halfway
gb/hˈæfwˈeɪ/ us/hˈæfwˈeɪ/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A2
relation
1
At the middle point between two places
In the middle between two places or points.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is halfway [between X and Y]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'halfway' with 'half', using 'half' alone when they mean 'halfway'.
Synonyms
midway (More formal or literary, but same physical meaning.)
Antonyms
end (Refers to the farthest point rather than the middle.)
Collocations
halfway point
|halfway mark
|halfway between
Themes
daily life
|travel
|space
Examples
- The hotel is halfway between the airport and the city center.
- We stopped for lunch when we were halfway through our journey.
- The park is about halfway down the street.
Learner examples
- The school is halfway between my house and the shop.
- We are halfway to the beach now.
- The bus stop is halfway down the road.
adverb
A2
relation
2
Partly but not completely done or true
Partly, but not fully or completely.
Usage pattern:
to be halfway [through something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'middle' incorrectly instead of 'halfway' for progress in tasks.
Synonyms
partially (Formal synonym meaning 'in part', less colloquial.)
Antonyms
completely (Means fully done or at the end, opposite of partial.)
Collocations
halfway done
|halfway finished
|halfway through
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I'm only halfway through the book.
- She was halfway convinced by his argument.
- They are halfway finished with the project.
Learner examples
- I am halfway through my homework.
- We are halfway done with dinner.
- He is halfway finished with painting the wall.
adjective
B1
property
3
Only partly complete or developed
Not finished or not fully done.
Usage pattern:
a halfway [measure/solution/effort]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with meaning 'in the middle', but here it means 'partial'.
Synonyms
incomplete (Neutral term for not finished, without implying low quality.)
Antonyms
thorough (Implies full and complete in detail, opposite of partial.)
Collocations
halfway measure
|halfway solution
|halfway effort
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was just a halfway solution to a serious problem.
- Don't do a halfway job on this project.
- The reforms were criticized as being only halfway measures.
Learner examples
- This is a halfway plan to fix the car.
- He gave a halfway answer to my question.
- They made a halfway effort to clean the room.
Grammar
Expressions
go halfway to doing something
1/ɡˈoʊ hˈæfwˈeɪ tə dˈuɪŋ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Do part of what is needed to achieve something
To do part but not everything needed to finish something.
Examples
- This new policy goes halfway to solving the problem.
- Their plan only goes halfway to meeting our needs.
halfway house
1/hˈæfwˈeɪ hˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
Residence for people in transition
A place where people live for a time when they are moving from prison or treatment back to normal life.
Examples
- After rehab, he spent six months in a halfway house.
- The city opened a new halfway house for former prisoners.
meet someone halfway
1/mˈit sˈʌmwˌʌn hˈæfwˈeɪ/
idiom
Compromise with someone
To agree to give up part of what you want so that you and another person can agree.
Examples
- If you meet me halfway, we can finish this deal today.
- They refused to meet us halfway on the price.