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Synonyms

cursory

American  
[kur-suh-ree] / ˈkɜr sə ri /

adjective

  1. going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial.

    a cursory glance at a newspaper article.
    Synonyms:
    haphazard, passing, brief, quick
cursory British  
/ ˈkɜːsərɪ /

adjective

  1. hasty and usually superficial; quick

    a cursory check
"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

Other Word Forms

  • cursorily adverb
  • cursoriness noun

Etymology

Origin of cursory

1595–1605; < Late Latin cursōrius running, equivalent to Latin cur ( rere ) to run + -sōrius, for -tōrius -tory 1; course

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The woman did not even give the collection of bones a cursory glance.

From Literature

After I take a shower, and Johanna sort of wipes herself down with a damp cloth, she makes a cursory inspection of the place.

From Literature

“See that they set an additional place for dinner,” Chandresh says to Marco, before taking her on a cursory spin around the room to make sure she has met everyone.

From Literature

Frankie picked up the menu and gave it a cursory glance.

From Literature

He went to a doctor and requested a cursory, nonintrusive examination, but was told that only a blood test would enable the doctor to evaluate his kidney function.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.