Meanings
present singular third person goes off half-cocked · participle present going off half-cocked · past went off half-cocked · participle past gone off half-cocked · alternative go off halfcocked · alternative go off at halfcock · alternative go off at half cock
- colloquialidiomaticTo take a premature or ill-considered action.
Make sure none of your men go off half-cocked and ruin this operation.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Commonly believed to be from the days of flintlock and caplock firearms, where the half-cock position of the hammer was both a rudimentary safety and the proper position for priming the pan or inserting a percussion cap. The phrase was originally rendered as "to go off at half-cock." However, this expression comes from archery. The coloured feather on an arrow is called the cock feather. The arrow must be drawn back fully so the arrow will fly the furthest distance. Going off half cocked means the arrow will not achieve its full power and not reach its target.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
go off half-cocked. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20off%20half-cocked
“go off half-cocked.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20off%20half-cocked. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “go off half-cocked,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20off%20half-cocked.
Source: go off half-cocked on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.