How to Use perfunctory in a Sentence

perfunctory

adjective

• In light of the attack, the fence around the campus looks puny, even perfunctory.
  — Ron Charles, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
• One of them stuck his finger through the cage, and the raven pecked at it in a perfunctory manner.
  — New York Times, 21 Sep. 2021
• But perfunctory sets like this one are hardly the stuff that dreams are made of.
  — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2021
• The link between the two new structures still has a perfunctory look.
  — Justin Davidson, Daily Intelligencer, 13 Apr. 2018
• In this scheme of things, norms and laws are perfunctory theater, at best.
  — Elizabeth Spiers, The New Republic, 24 July 2019
• Use Slack for more than just sort of perfunctory work things.
  — Wired Staff, Wired, 13 Mar. 2020
• The tiny flags pinned on so many politician’s lapels seemed less perfunctory and more like an act of faith.
  — Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2021
• Each chamber's bill now moves to the other side for votes that should be perfunctory.
  — Sarah Rankin, Star Tribune, 5 Feb. 2021
• The athlete wandered up and gave a perfunctory sniff of hello to a stranger, then wandered away again.
  — Krista Stevens, Longreads, 22 June 2018
• Ampersand's perfunctory role throughout the first season proves that the show has no idea what to do with him.
  — Nick Schager, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2021
• The composer sent a perfunctory note of praise and well wishes.
  — Ariel Shapiro, Forbes, 7 June 2021
• First came the before pictures, as brightly lit and perfunctory as a mug shot.
  — Lena Dunham, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2018
• A perfunctory hearing on the case will be held Thursday.
  — Clifford Ward, chicagotribune.com, 28 Apr. 2017
• This step is not perfunctory, and has already led to at least one woman facing a felony.
  — Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 3 Aug. 2020
• Here is one way to get away from the perfunctory holiday ham or stuffed poultry.
  — Mary Bergin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 Dec. 2019
• This means that the day’s proceedings will not be perfunctory.
  — Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2021
• The handshakes and hugs looked more heartfelt than perfunctory, and many lingered for more than a few seconds.
  — Garry Smits, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2021
• Given the perfunctory 3-point line in favor of the home team, this one is bascially a Pick 'Em on paper.
  — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 12 Sep. 2022
• Won a seal of approval from the NBA, even if that affirmation seemed a tad too perfunctory.
  — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 29 July 2020
• There’s also a romance, perhaps the most perfunctory one this side of a children’s movie.
  — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 May 2022
• Stand-up special intros tend to be perfunctory, but this one perfectly sets the tone for the hour that follows.
  — Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2021
• But the scenes on land seem rather perfunctory, if still pleasing and romantic.
  — Jocelyn Noveck, kansascity, 31 May 2018
• Yet that is, inevitably, part of the appeal, as even a perfunctory glance at People and US Weekly would attest.
  — Brian Lowry, CNN, 8 July 2020
• The result was two concerts in one, with the first half as dull and perfunctory as the second was animated and inspired.
  — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, 27 Apr. 2017
• Getting rid of Joel is a bit of business so essential to the plot, it is performed in the most perfunctory way possible.
  — Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2018
• Most of the time, people have perfunctory attitudes about youth and their future.
  — Kate Santich, OrlandoSentinel.com, 8 May 2018
• But in the Trump era, even these perfunctory requests are contested.
  — Cristian Farias, Daily Intelligencer, 31 May 2018
• Your younger brother just drowned in a perfunctory half-sentence.
  — Anthony Lydgate, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2022
• The beats are generally good, but the choruses are often perfunctory excuses to get from one verse to the next.
  — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2022
• Maybe for once the Grammys are trying to recognize new talent in the moment rather than waiting 10 or 50 years to issue a perfunctory mea culpa.
  — Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2022

Last Updated: 18 Oct 2024