shallow

[ shal-oh ]

adjective

, shal·low·er, shal·low·est.

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. Usually shallows. (used with a singular or plural verb) 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

Derived Forms

• ˈshallowly, adverb
• ˈshallowness, noun

Other Words From

• shallow·ly adverb
• shallow·ness 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

Former Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke is one of those who believes that the discussion about numbers is "entirely shallow".

From BBC

She said as Cardigan Bay was shallow, being about 60m at its deepest, it meant the dolphins had no predators, such as orcas or sharks.

From BBC

In the early 1960s it was the Chinese who fled famine across the shallow Tumen river.

From BBC

They lingered especially long into last week, before Ford came screaming across the field on a shallow drag route last Friday, deep in the red zone.

From Los Angeles Times

She called him “hopelessly naïve” and said he had shown “shallow understanding of a great swathe of Scotland's population”.

From BBC

Related Words

• empty
• foolish
• frothy
• hollow
• trivial