shallow

1 of 3

adjective

shal·​low ˈsha-(ˌ)lō 

1

: having little depth

shallow water

2

: having little extension inward or backward

office buildings have taken the form of shallow slabs

—Lewis Mumford

3

a

: penetrating only the easily or quickly perceived

shallow generalizations

b

: lacking in depth of knowledge, thought, or feeling

a shallow demagogue

4

: displacing comparatively little air : weak

shallow breathing

shallowly

ˈsha-lō-lē 

-lə-lē

adverb

shallowness noun

shallow

2 of 3

verb

shallowed; shallowing; shallows

transitive verb

: to make shallow

intransitive verb

: to become shallow

shallow

3 of 3

noun

: a shallow place or area in a body of water

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

Synonyms

Adjective

• depthless
• shoal

Noun

• ford
• shoal

Choose the Right Synonym for shallow

superficial, shallow, cursory mean lacking in depth or solidity.

superficial implies a concern only with surface aspects or obvious features.

a superficial analysis of the problem

shallow is more generally derogatory in implying lack of depth in knowledge, reasoning, emotions, or character.

a light, shallow, and frivolous review

cursory suggests a lack of thoroughness or a neglect of details.

gave the letter only a cursory reading

Examples of shallow in a Sentence

Adjective

The shallow end of the pool is only three feet deep.

Her boyfriends were all shallow creeps.

She could only take shallow breaths.

His breathing became very shallow.

Noun

we waded through the shallows looking for tadpoles

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Instead of setting up a spot on the sand, beachgoers typically pitch their chairs in the shallow clear blue water and laze the day away. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025

Located in shallow waters near Costa Rica’s Cahuita National Park, the wrecks were long thought to belong to pirate ships, according to local legend. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025

Verb

If its Insta-worthy status isn’t reason enough, the Always Pan 2.0 is big enough to simmer a hearty veggie stew and shallow enough to sear the perfect piece of salmon. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2025

Jose Miranda followed by parachuting a 1-0 fastball for a two-run single to shallow right field to put the Twins in front 5-3. —Dan Hayes, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025

Noun

Not only are camels strolling along the shore, but flamingos are also wading in the shallows right next to them. —Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Prayer, much like the shallow pretenses of political reform, always felt like a way to avoid people like Ganny indefinitely. —Joseph Earl Thomas, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English schalowe; probably akin to Old English sceald shallow — more at skeleton

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1510, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1569, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shallow

• callow
• hallo
• hallow
• mallow
• palo
• sallow
• tallow
• caballo
• cavallo

Kids Definition

shallow

1 of 2 adjective

shal·​low ˈshal-ō 

1

: having little depth

shallow water

2

: showing little knowledge, thought, or feeling

shallowly adverb

shallowness noun

shallow

2 of 2 noun

: a shallow place or area in a body of water

—usually used in plural

Medical Definition

shallow

adjective

shal·​low ˈshal-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w) 

: displacing comparatively little air

shallow breathing