shallow

American  

[shal-oh] / ˈʃæl oʊ /

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.

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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 British  

/ ˈʃæləʊ /

adjective

1. having little depth

2. lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial

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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

Etymology

Origin of shallow

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English schalowe (adjective); akin to Old English sceald “shallow” ( shoal ¹ )

Example Sentences

Squid and cuttlefish live in environments ranging from deep ocean waters to shallow coastal regions.

From Science Daily

He closed his eye and, surrounded by the silence of Deadwood, let his undead lungs assume a shallow rhythm.

From Literature

After such an event, the landscape collapses into a broad, relatively shallow crater known as a caldera.

From Science Daily

Kharg experienced major development during Iran's oil boom in the 1960s and 1970s because much of the coastline on the mainland was too shallow to accommodate supertankers.

From Barron's

It may freeze directly to the shoreline, anchor to shallow areas of the seafloor, or connect with grounded ice ridges.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• empty
• foolish
• frothy
• hollow
• trivial