cursory

adjective

cur·​so·​ry ˈkərs-rē 

ˈkər-sə-

: rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty

a cursory glance

Only a cursory inspection of the building's electrical wiring was done.

cursorily

ˈkərs-rə-lē 

ˈkər-sə-

adverb

cursoriness

ˈkərs-rē-nəs 

ˈkər-sə-

noun

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What Is the Difference Between cursory, superficial, and shallow?

Let your cursor linger long enough on our pages, and you’ll be surprised at how much you can quickly discover. Consider the entry for cursory, for example. If you surmise after a mere cursory glance that there’s not much to know about a word with a single sense (“hastily done or made”), you may want to hold your horses. There’s so much to find, including a helpful guide to choosing synonyms of cursory, such as shallow and superficial, that also describe things done with a lack of attention or care. There’s also an etymology section, where one learns that cursory was borrowed from the Medieval Latin adjective cursōrius, which described things that were swift or related to running, and which in turn comes from the Latin noun cursor, meaning “runner.” This fact may prompt you to jog over to the entries of other cursor descendants, such as cursorial (“adapted to or involving running,” as in “cursorial insects”) and, well, cursor.

Synonyms

• drive-by
• flying
• gadarene
• hasty
• headlong
• helter-skelter
• hurried
• overhasty
• pell-mell
• precipitate
• precipitous
• rash
• rushed

Choose the Right Synonym for cursory

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 cursory in a Sentence

Only a cursory inspection of the building's electrical wiring was done.

The mayor gave a cursory glance at the report.

Even the most cursory look at the organization's records shows problems.

Recent Examples on the Web

That review can be cursory (does your tax return match the data that the IRS has on file?) or a bit more sophisticated (does your tax return make sense based on other data, like your historic filing patterns?). —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Speaking at the White House last week, Mr. Musk asserted without providing evidence that a cursory examination of the Social Security Administration found that people listed in its systems as being 150 years old were receiving benefits. —Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

Since 2001, the net effect of the state-building mission in Afghanistan has been the emergence of a strong Afghan army and a weak Afghan state, creating an imbalance that should worry anyone with a cursory knowledge of history or political theory. —Paul D. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2014

Taylor Swift's generosity also deserves admiration Swift’s altruism is frequently tagged as a reason for respect and admiration, even from those with a cursory interest in her. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin cursōrius "of running, swift" (Late Latin in nominal derivatives, as cursōria "shoe for running"), adjectival derivative of Latin cursor "runner" — more at cursor

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cursory

• bursary
• nursery
• anniversary

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Kids Definition

cursory

adjective

cur·​so·​ry ˈkərs(-ə)-rē 

: rapid and usually careless : hasty

a cursory glance

cursorily

-rə-lē 

adverb

cursoriness

-rē-nəs 

noun