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halfhearted attempt

[/ˌhæfˈhɑːrtɪd əˈtɛmpt/]
noun phrasepl: halfhearted attempts
tentativa morna; esforço morno
1. An effort or try that lacks enthusiasm, commitment, or genuine intention; a weak or unenthusiastic attempt
He made a halfhearted attempt to apologize after the argument.
Ele fez uma tentativa morna de se desculpar após a discussão.
2. An action undertaken without full dedication or conviction
The company's halfhearted attempt to improve customer service failed miserably.
A tentativa morna da empresa de melhorar o atendimento ao cliente fracassou miseravelmente.
NYC Slang
weak sauce attempt; phoned-in effort
Synonyms
weak attemptfeeble effortlukewarm tryunenthusiastic attempthalf-baked effort
Antonyms
wholehearted attemptdetermined effortearnest trycommitted attemptvigorous effort

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
tentativa morna; esforço desanimado
Standard usage in Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
tentativa fraca; esforço meio morno
Common colloquial usage
São Paulo
tentativa morna; esforço sem entusiasmo
Formal and informal contexts
Portugal
tentativa tímida; esforço tibieza
Portuguese European equivalent

Related Idioms & Phrases

go through the motions
half measures avail us nothing
give it a shot
do something with one hand tied behind one's back
put one's heart into something (antonym usage)
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