cursory
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cursory
1595–1605; < Late Latin cursōrius running, equivalent to Latin cur ( rere ) to run + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory 1; cf. course
Explanation
No reason to get excited — cursory has nothing to do with bad language. Instead, it means not paying attention to details, like friends who are so busy studying for a test that they only give your new haircut a cursory glance. Cursory dates to the early 17th century, from the French word cursoire meaning "rapid," which comes from the Latin word cursorius, meaning "hasty, of a race or running." Something that is cursory is done quickly. A teacher might take a cursory look at a pile of completed tests, not to grade them, but to see if anyone attempted the bonus questions.
Vocabulary lists containing cursory
Grade 12, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cursory research shows that medical providers of all kinds routinely overbook patient appointments to make up for lost revenue from no-shows and late arrivals.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
Cursory, early searches of her social media history are turning up some truly not great stuff!
From Slate • May 14, 2022
For this e-text, footnote markers in the Cursory Observations have been changed from simple asterisks * to capital letters A*, and shorter footnotes are displayed as inset sidenotes.
From Cursory Observations on the Poems Attributed to Thomas Rowley (1782) by Kuist, James M.
Such pieces would have appeared whether or not Malone had written the Cursory Observations.
From Cursory Observations on the Poems Attributed to Thomas Rowley (1782) by Kuist, James M.
Cursory lectures were delivered in the afternoon, frequently by bachelors; but as College teaching became more important than the lectures given in the Schools, the distinction gradually disappeared.
From Life in the Medieval University by Rait, Robert S.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
