Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perfunctory Not De Niro, who delivers one of the most perfunctory performances of his career. Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025 After a perfunctory campaign ahead of the launch, Apple has released the M4 MacBook Air. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 The Hold, its halls bereft of the zealots, liars, and dung-eating murderers who haunt it in Elden Ring, feels empty and perfunctory. Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025 By the 1990s, most of Corman’s product saw only a perfunctory theatrical release and mostly went straight to VHS or late-night cable. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for perfunctory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfunctory
Adjective
  • While a nonchalant approach might protect you from a heartbreak, there's no way to build real relationships without vulnerability and the risk of rejection, Robbins said.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
  • One video shows some of those on the boat maintaining a nonchalant attitude, with one man joking the vessel had hit an iceberg, Titanic-style.
    Jesse Kirsch, NBC news, 6 May 2025
Adjective
  • So, keep initiating the catch-ups, accepting invites for casual hangs, attending those after-work dinners and chatting with acquaintances at events.
    Seraphina Seow, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
  • Honestly, for movie nights or casual gaming on a massive screen, this one’s hard to top.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 14 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Perfunctory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfunctory. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on perfunctory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!