as in nonchalant
having or showing a lack of interest or concern
the violinist delivered a perfunctory performance that displayed none of the passion and warmth he was once known for
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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
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
-
Actress January Jones channeled Isabel Marant’s nonchalant French-girl style by wearing an oversized sweater and cutoff jean shorts to a dinner hosted by the designer.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
12 June 2025
-
The partnership marks a stylistic evolution for White, who previously channeled classic Americana and nonchalant cool in campaigns for Calvin Klein.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Pair it with sneakers, sandals, flats, and more for a casual yet stylish everyday look.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
19 June 2025
-
Will some casual fans who used to flip on a game at random drop off?—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perfunctory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfunctory. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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