1
as in shoal
lacking significant physical depth
the dog quickly dug a shallow hole that was barely deep enough to accommodate his bone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superficial
having or showing a lack of depth of understanding or character
he was a shallow person who rarely cared about anything but his earthly possessions and keeping up appearances
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shallow
Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Our only real gripe is a lack of storage and connectivity; door pockets are small and shallow, the center armrest holds no more than a single phone, and there’s just one USB-A plug and no wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
—Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Marina was rising from the shallows.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shallow
Adjective
The underground pop of the 2010s used to get so excited about being online, using shrinky-dink artifice to delight in poking fun at a culture that could feel shallow and strange but also organic and endlessly renewable.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Our only real gripe is a lack of storage and connectivity; door pockets are small and shallow, the center armrest holds no more than a single phone, and there’s just one USB-A plug and no wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
—Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Dusted with crushed coral and powdered shells, the beaches of Los Roques—scattered like pearls across Venezuela’s Caribbean coast—offer sheets of talcum-white sand that dissolve into aquamarine shallows.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Marina was rising from the shallows.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shallow
Adjective
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So, pretty people and sunshine are a superficial symptom of something much deeper.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
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Mark’s bond with another trainer, Bas Rutten (played by the real-life former wrestler and broadcaster Bas Rutten), is similarly superficial.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Analysts have said Beijing’s plan to categorize the shoal as a nature reserve amounts to trying to take the moral high ground in the dispute over the atoll, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
16 Sep. 2025
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The shoals attract diving gannets and orcas.—
David Greig
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hundreds more were forced to sleep on cots in terminals overnight, as authorities scrambled to respond to unconfirmed but credible reports of drones in restricted airspace.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Things had finally intensified to where McTavish was on the phone with Morris five or six times a day after a lengthy and meaningful divide over term and worth resulting in the center withholding his services for the first 10 days of training camp as a restricted free agent without a contract.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Where to stay The intimate, 39-room Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto, on the banks of Hozu River, gives front-row views of Arashiyama Hills’ kaleidoscopic colors in springtime as well as in autumn.—
Kristin Braswell,
AFAR Media,
7 Oct. 2025
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The deal adds more than 350 bank branches to Fifth Third's almost 1,100 locations.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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When shopping, look for ginger root that is firm and smooth.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Hamblin served the blended three-year-old rye finished in toasted barrel, which had a smooth, almost vanilla taste.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, they were limited to single steps to tackle multi-surface flooring and not intended for use on stairs.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
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And that the smooth surface could harbor either a thick ice crust and thin ocean, or a thin ice crust and a thick ocean, with either possibility admitting the existence of sub-surface hydrothermal vents.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Center, and the bourbon bars and distilleries making up Whiskey Row.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Oct. 2025
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That abundance is on full display at the hotel’s six restaurants and bars, which source the large majority of ingredients from the surrounding areas.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shallow. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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