the half of it

English

Phrase

the half of it

1. (idiomatic, informal, chiefly in the negative) Only a part of something; not the full picture. Typically it is implied to be the most important part.

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

• Italian: una parte della storia f

Further reading

• “the half of it”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “the half of it”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “half of it”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “not know the half of it”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.