shallow

1 of 2

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

shallowness

2 of 2

noun

shal·​low·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being shallow

Synonyms of shallow

Adjective

• shoal
• superficial
• restricted
• smooth
• surface

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Subduction zones—places where one plate is diving below another—are where the very largest quakes occur because the fault dips down at a shallow angle, creating a larger area of slip, Jones explains. —Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 8 June 2026

The farmer alerted authorities, who found a shallow grave containing partial skeletal remains. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 8 June 2026

The footage, which appears to be from an officer's body camera, shows an officer charge into the shallow water and begin pulling the unresponsive woman from the water. —Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026

Each spring the skies over central Nebraska fill with a special sound—a rolling, trumpeting, almost prehistoric chorus—as a slew of sandhill cranes descend on the wide and shallow reaches of the Platte River. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

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

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