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

It added: "Flood water can appear quickly, and even shallow water can be dangerous - never try to drive through it."

Read more on BBC

In the most likely scenario, downtown L.A. will receive 2.62 inches of rain between late Thursday and Sunday, which would cause flooding on roadways and minor, shallow debris flows.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Ms. Harris’s book is insistently shallow, almost as if that were a virtue, a sign of authenticity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He urged MSPs to ignore "shallow arguments" about the cost of the proposals and called for a "compassionate" approach to MSPs who are unable to physically attend parliament.

Read more on BBC

To think we can simply sashay into Heaven as we are without some serious heart surgery is to have a shallow view of both God’s holiness and our sinfulness and selfishness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• empty 
• foolish 
• frothy 
• hollow 
• trivial