the half of it
English
Phrase
the half of it
- (idiomatic, informal, chiefly in the negative) Only a part of something; not the full picture.
Usage notes
- Often used to say that a situation is worse than it might seem on its face.
- Often used in the expression "to not know the half of it," defined as "to not know the full extent of a problem, etc."
Translations
only a part of something
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Further reading
- “the half of it”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
- “the half of it”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.
- “half of it” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- “not know the half of it” in the Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.