English Reference
Idiom idiom

the half of it


Only a part of something; not the full picture. Typically it is implied to be the most important part.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“That is not even the half of it.”

CONTEXTUAL

“You think the traffic was bad today, but that is not even the half of it.”

COMPLEX

“While the public focused on the immediate financial loss, the internal audit revealed that this was not even the half of it.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all over hell's half acre

    All over the place; everywhere.

  2. 02

    baker's half dozen

    Seven, a group of seven.

  3. 03

    do by halves

    To perform (a task, etc) partially or incompletely; to do (something) inadequately, halfheartedly, or shoddily.

  4. 04

    go halves

    To divide equally between two parties.

  5. 05

    half a brain

    A very basic or minimal level of intelligence.

  6. 06

    half a head

    Synonym of half a brain.

  7. 07

    half a mind

    A moderate inclination.

  8. 08

    half joke

    A statement which contains elements of both jest and seriousness.

Last updated August 10, 2026