# half murder

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/half-murder
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The committing of a grievous, but not fatal, injury.

## Examples

- The angry dog nearly beat the intruder half to death.
- The fight was so violent that the attacker left his opponent half murdered in the alleyway.
- The brutal assault left the victim half murdered, requiring months of intensive care to recover from such severe physical trauma.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.