by half

prepositional phrase

By far; by a long chalk; to an excessive extent or degree, especially to the extent that it is negative, gets in the way, etc.

“Little Miss Smartyboots is too clever by half.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. colloquialBy far; by a long chalk; to an excessive extent or degree, especially to the extent that it is negative, gets in the way, etc.

    Little Miss Smartyboots is too clever by half.

    1 more example

    He and two friends were known as “the three pseuds” among the rest of the boys, who thought them too clever by half.

    2012 November 9, Decca Aitkenhead, “Robbie Coltrane: ‘I take no nonsense’”, in The Guardian
Cite this entry
APA

by half. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20half

MLA

“by half.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20half. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by half,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20half.

Source: by half on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.