student asking question

What's the difference between "not bad" and "not half bad"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Not bad" means that something is acceptable, but not the best it could be. "Not half bad" means something is better than you expected, almost good. Ex: This food isn't bad, but it could be better. Ex: I was expecting this hat to look ugly on me, but it isn't half bad.

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