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half-baked attempt

[/hæf beɪkt əˈtɛmpt/]
noun phrasepl: half-baked attempts
tentativa mal elaborada
1. An attempt or effort that is poorly planned, incomplete, or lacking proper thought and preparation
His half-baked attempt to fix the car made things worse.
Sua tentativa mal elaborada de consertar o carro piorou as coisas.
2. A plan or idea that is not well developed or thoroughly considered
That's just a half-baked attempt at solving the problem.
Essa é apenas uma tentativa mal elaborada de resolver o problema.
NYC Slang
weak attempt / botched job
Synonyms
poorly planned attemptsloppy efforthasty attemptill-conceived planincomplete effort
Antonyms
well-planned attemptthorough effortcarefully considered planwell-executed attempt

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
tentativa mal elaborada / tentativa improvisada
Common usage in both formal and informal contexts
São Paulo
tentativa meia-boca
More colloquial alternative
Rio de Janeiro
tentativa mal feita / gambiarrinha
Often used with a sense of improvisation or makeshift quality
Portugal
tentativa mal concebida / esboço mal feito
More formal usage preferred

Related Idioms & Phrases

half-measures won't work
do something properly or not at all
a lick and a promise
shoddy workmanship
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