shallow

American  

[shal-oh] / ˈʃæl oʊ /

adjective

shallower, shallowest

1. of little depth; not deep.

   shallow water.

2. lacking depth; superficial.

   a mind that is not narrow but shallow.

3. taking in a relatively small amount of air in each inhalation.

   shallow breathing.

4. Baseball. relatively close to home plate.

   The shortstop caught the pop fly in shallow left field.

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noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) Usually shallows. a shallow part of a body of water; shoal.

adverb

1. Baseball. at a shallow position.

   With the pitcher up, the outfielders played shallow.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become shallow.

shallow British  

/ ˈʃæləʊ /

adjective

1. having little depth

2. lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial

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noun

1. (often plural) a shallow place in a body of water; shoal

verb

1. to make or become shallow

Other Word Forms

• shallowly adverb
• shallowness noun

Etymology

Origin of shallow

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English schalowe (adjective); akin to Old English sceald “shallow” ( 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.

Example Sentences

They were all shallow, guy-at-the-end-of-the-bar observations that generally reflected very little knowledge of the complexity of the issues and the potential ramifications.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

The basin gathers into shallow wetlands where movement returns to the landscape.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The whale became stuck on a sandbank on 23 March before being rescued days later - only to swim into shallow waters on Poel Island, further down the Baltic Sea coast.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Critics argue that the Accords are transactional and shallow: photo-ops dressed up as diplomacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Captain Nikolai Shumkov brought his submarine to shallow depth for a quick recharge.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• empty
• foolish
• frothy
• hollow
• trivial