halfway

• half-way

From Middle English halfwey, from Old English healfweġ (“half-way”), equivalent to half- +‎ way. Compare partway.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian hoolfwais (“halfway”), Dutch halfweg (“halfway”), German halbwegs (“halfway”), Danish halvvejs (“halfway”), Swedish halvvägs (“halfway”).

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌhæfˈweɪ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /hɑːfˈweɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

halfway (not comparable)

1. Half of the way between two points.

   Synonym: midway

   I was already halfway home when I missed my keyring.

   One day has gone by and she's already halfway through the book.

   It's July 1st, so this year is halfway over.

   • 1989, Octavia E. Butler, “Part III, Chapter 7”, in Imago, page 210:

     Just over halfway up, we reached the Human settlement with its houses of stone and wood and thatch.

   • 2010 March 25, Corey Kilgannon, “When Meeting Halfway Means in the Street”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 September 2024:

     "He comes halfway and I come halfway," said Mr. Korson, 56.

   • 2020 January 7, Rebecca Wallwork, “Which South Florida airport should I fly into?”, in CNN‎^[2]:

     For Super Bowl visitors, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens lies about halfway between the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports.

2. Moderately; somewhat.

   Synonym: partway

   a halfway decent place to sleep

• halfways

halfway (not comparable)

1. Middle; midway; being in the middle of the way or distance.

   John blacked out at the halfway point of the marathon.