half-cocked
Not fully ready
Half-cocked describes something done prematurely or without adequate preparation.
The term comes from firearms: a gun at half-cock has its hammer partially drawn back—not ready to fire, but not safely at rest either.
To go off half-cocked is to act rashly before you're ready: He went off half-cocked and accused the wrong person.
A half-cocked plan or idea is poorly thought through.
Excessively quick, ill-considered
- rashHeedless or skin irritation
- precipitateHeadlong and reckless
- ill-advisedShowing poor judgment
- prematureOccurring before expected
knee-jerk · impetuous · snap · spur-of-the-moment · unthinking · reactive · hotheaded · trigger-happy
Not yet prepared
- ill-equippedLacking necessary preparation
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- unfinishedNot yet complete
- underpreparedInsufficiently ready for something
inadequate · deficient · lacking · rough · unpolished · sketchy · slipshod · slapdash
hasty
Excessively quick, ill-considered
- rashHeedless or skin irritation
- precipitateHeadlong and reckless
- ill-advisedShowing poor judgment
premature · knee-jerk · impetuous · snap · spur-of-the-moment · unthinking · reactive · hotheaded · trigger-happy · overhasty
unready
Not yet prepared
- ill-equippedLacking necessary preparation
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- unfinishedNot yet complete
underprepared · inadequate · deficient · lacking · rough · unpolished · sketchy · slipshod · slapdash · haphazard
- unreadyunprepared, ill-prepared, ill-equipped, unready, not ready
- unfinishedincomplete, unfinished, partial, underdone, rudimentary
half-cockedready
Suitable for use now
prepared · well-planned · primed · locked and loaded · battle-ready
half-cockeddeliberate
Consciously chosen, not accidental
well-thought-out · planned · calculated · considered · thoughtful
half-cockedcool-headed
Calm when stressed
level-headed · composed · rational · collected · calm
half, half-baked, cock, cocked, halftime, half-brother, half-life, halftone, halfling