# not half bad

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/not-half-bad
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Pretty good, imperfect but more than OK.

## Examples

- This homemade soup is not half bad.
- I was worried about the new movie, but it turned out to be not half bad.
- Although the amateur musician lacked formal training, his performance was not half bad and earned a warm round of applause.

## Origin

A variant of the phrase not bad, sharing a common construction with the adverbial not half.

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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.