shallow
Americanadjective
-
of little depth; not deep.
shallow water.
-
lacking depth; superficial.
a mind that is not narrow but shallow.
-
taking in a relatively small amount of air in each inhalation.
shallow breathing.
-
Baseball. relatively close to home plate.
The shortstop caught the pop fly in shallow left field.
noun
adverb
verb (used with or without object)
adjective
-
having little depth
-
lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has shallowedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have shallowedperfect
-
have been shallowingperfect progressive
-
am shallowingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is shallowingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
shallowingparticiple
-
shallowssingular 3rd person
-
has been shallowingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are shallowingprogressive
Past
-
had shallowedperfect
-
was shallowingprogressive singular
-
shallowedsimple
-
had been shallowingperfect progressive
-
were shallowingprogressive plural
-
shallowedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of shallow
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English schalowe (adjective); akin to Old English sceald “shallow” ( see shoal 1)
Explanation
The adjective shallow can describe things that aren't very deep, like a shallow puddle, or people who don't have much emotional or intellectual depth, like shallow people who judge others on their looks and how much money they have. Shallow likely comes from the Old English word sceald, which means "shoal," the water near a shoreline. So, shallow describes something that is close to the surface — like the shallow roots of a newly-planted tree or a person whose interest in someone or something isn't very deep. For instance, a shallow person might go to the opening of a new art exhibition not so much to see the artworks as meet the wealthy people on the museum's board of trustees.
Vocabulary lists containing shallow
Face It: Selfie Vocab
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Words from Shakespearean Insults
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Workshop 2, Part 1
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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.
This April, it was filled with shallow water.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Others were shallow and smooth, especially on front teeth, likely caused by acidic fruits that many primates consume in large amounts.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
The shares then started to decline but that pullback was considered shallow, as the stock dropped just 13% from that $113.48 peak before rising again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
He has devoted a surprising amount of time and energy into relaying the minute engineering problems plaguing this shallow pool on the National Mall.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
She felt clammy, and her breathing was shallow.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
