shallow

[shal-oh]

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.

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

/ ˈʃæləʊ /

adjective

1. having little depth

2. lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shallow¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English schalowe (adjective); akin to Old English sceald “shallow” ( shoal ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of shallow¹

C15: related to Old English sceald shallow; see _shoal ¹

Example Sentences

Lady Gaga is buried in a shallow grave.

From BBC

Despite a backlash from MPs, Burnham said Labour should not be "narrow and shallow", adding there was "too much of a climate of fear".

From BBC

It is just their pockets are comparatively shallow.

From BBC

Several hundred people per day wait for their chance to snap its constellation of LED lights that bounce off of wall-to-wall mirrors and the shallow layer of water surrounding the viewing platform.

From Los Angeles Times

The timescale given for the review, which is due to report back by December, would make its findings "shallow and surface-level", she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• empty 
• foolish 
• frothy 
• hollow 
• trivial