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try half-heartedly

[/traɪ ˌhæf ˈhɑːrtɪdli/]
verb phrase
tentar sem entusiasmo
1. to make an attempt or effort at something without genuine commitment, enthusiasm, or vigor; to do something in a lukewarm or unenthusiastic manner
He tried half-heartedly to fix the broken lamp, but gave up after a few minutes.
Ele tentou sem entusiasmo consertar a lâmpada quebrada, mas desistiu após alguns minutos.
NYC Slang
half-ass it / phone it in
Synonyms
attempt weaklymake a feeble attempttry without convictiongo through the motionsmake a token effort
Antonyms
try wholeheartedlygive one's allmake a genuine effortcommit fullyspare no effort

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
tentar sem entusiasmo / tentar meia-boca
Common in informal speech
Rio de Janeiro
tentar sem vontade / fazer de má vontade
Colloquial usage
São Paulo
tentar sem empenho / tentar meia-boca
Urban informal variant
Portugal
tentar com pouco entusiasmo / fazer de forma desinteressada
More formal register

Related Idioms & Phrases

go through the motions
put in a token effort
not give a hundred percent
do something by halves
half measures
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