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

• shoal
• superficial
• restricted
• smooth
• surface

Noun

• shoal
• bank
• ford
• bar

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

Then sawfish began washing up dead in the same shallow waters, launching an unusual rescue effort. —Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 19 July 2025

And that reactivity leads to poor decisions, inconsistent follow-through, and shallow innovation. —Brent Gleeson, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025

Verb

Palacios popped out to shallow left field, but Andrew Vaughn drove in Meidroth with a single to bring Michael A. Taylor to the plate as the tying run. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025

Iván Herrera connected on an 0-2 inside pitch for a two-run bloop single to shallow right field, extending the lead to 5-1. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025

Noun

Wild egrets stalk the shallows for tiddlers, while the nearby reef bustles with mantas, turtles, and sailfish. —Hazel Plush, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2025

In the shallow reefs off the coast of southwestern Japan, a small fish scuttles along the rocky seafloor. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 June 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