shallow

[ shal-oh ]

/ ˈʃæl oʊ /

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See synonyms for: shallow / shallower / shallows / shallowness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, shal·low·er, shal·low·est.

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

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

adverb

Baseball. at a shallow position: With the pitcher up, the outfielders played shallow.

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become shallow.

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THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

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Origin of shallow

1350–1400; Middle English schalowe (adj.); akin to Old English sceald shallow (see shoal¹)

OTHER WORDS FROM shallow

shal·low·ly, adverbshal·low·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for shallow

This is usually the preferred method for fishing shallow waters or targeting pelagic species, which are particularly sensitive to noise.
Take a stab at spearfishing with these tips|Same Romano/Outdoor Life|November 16, 2020|Popular Science
Martinez explained on multiple occasions that his first step was slower in the outfield, leading to a handful of balls to drop in shallow center.
A bulked-up Victor Robles had a down year. He’ll look to fine-tune his game in winter ball.|Jesse Dougherty|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
Spoon the combined ingredients into a shallow casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food|Christina Bernstein|November 12, 2020|Outside Online
All of that said, I think the slightly shallower depth of field is a win for the new larger sensor and I do think there’s a noticeable upgrade from the 12 Pro to the 12 Pro Max, let alone over the previous generations.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max might be worth it—for the camera alone|Stan Horaczek|November 10, 2020|Popular Science

In these pages, though, that’s a surprisingly shallow trench.
Jonathan Lethem’s ‘The Arrest’ imagines a kinder, gentler apocalypse|Ron Charles|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
Would such shallowness be tolerated in a film about the Battle of Agincourt, immortalized by Shakespeare in Henry V?
‘300’ Is a Misleading, Muscle-Bound Travesty of Ancient History|James Romm|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But what the debate really showed is the utter shallowness of today's GOP.
GOP Goes Isolationist|Michael Tomasky|June 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The shallowness of the Obama white paper, issued last June, is now only too obvious.
The Looming Banking Battle|Jeff Madrick|November 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The shallowness and simplicity of the girl baffled her continually.
That Lass O' Lowrie's|Frances Hodgson Burnett
It certainly leads to shallowness, "Without haste, without rest" was Goethe's motto.
Girls and Women|Harriet E. Paine (AKA E. Chester}
Their broadsides bore upon the enemy, and the shallowness of the water was such that by no means could they be surrounded.
The Naval History of the United States|Willis J. Abbot.
And there was only one way to deal with such shallowness––that was with firm and unmistakable severity.
Once to Every Man|Larry Evans
Religion suffers from a narrowness and shallowness which broader and deeper culture must remove.
A New Atmosphere|Gail Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for shallow

shallow

/ (ˈʃæləʊ) /

adjective

having little depth

lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial

noun

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

verb

to make or become shallow

Derived forms of shallow

shallowly, adverbshallowness, noun

Word Origin for shallow

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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WORD OF THE DAY

shallow

adjective, shal·low·er, shal·low·est.

noun

adverb

verb (used with or without object)

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Origin of shallow

OTHER WORDS FROM shallow

Example sentences from the Web for shallow

British Dictionary definitions for shallow

adjective

noun

verb

Derived forms of shallow

Word Origin for shallow

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

shallow

adjective, shal·low·er, shal·low·est.

noun

adverb

verb (used with or without object)

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Origin of shallow

OTHER WORDS FROM shallow

Words related to shallow

Example sentences from the Web for shallow

British Dictionary definitions for shallow

adjective

noun

verb

Derived forms of shallow

Word Origin for shallow