shallow

[ shal-oh ]

/ ˈʃæl oʊ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shallow 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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orchard

body of land completely surrounded by water

group of cultivated fruit trees

long mournful cry

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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

Words nearby shallow

shall, shall i compare thee to a summer's day?, shalloon, shallop, shallot, shallow, shallow breathing, shalmaneser iii, shalom, shalom aleichem, shalosh seudoth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for shallowness

The ignorant know not the depth of their ignorance, but the learned know the shallowness of their learning.
A Cynic Looks at Life|Ambrose Bierce
It also shews the shallowness of the medullary groove in the anterior part of the body.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume IV (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
“I—I cared for someone else,” said Margaret, thickly, unwilling to be convicted of shallowness.
The Master's Violin|Myrtle Reed
There is a kind of breadth that is shallowness; there is a kind of sympathy that has no punch.
Modern American Prose Selections|Various

The little bits of conversation one catches in passing, showing the depth or shallowness of the speakers.
Folly as It Flies|Fanny Fern

British Dictionary definitions for shallowness

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

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Origin of shallow

OTHER WORDS FROM shallow

Words nearby shallow

Example sentences from the Web for shallowness

British Dictionary definitions for shallowness

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

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Origin of shallow

OTHER WORDS FROM shallow

Words nearby shallow

Words related to shallowness

Example sentences from the Web for shallowness

British Dictionary definitions for shallowness

adjective

noun

verb

Derived forms of shallow

Word Origin for shallow