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View synonyms for

shallow

[ shal-oh ]

adjective

shallower, shallowest.
  1. of little depth; not deep:

    shallow water.

  2. lacking depth; superficial:

    a mind that is not narrow but shallow.

  3. taking in a relatively small amount of air in each inhalation:

    shallow breathing.

  4. Baseball. relatively close to home plate:

    The shortstop caught the pop fly in shallow left field.



noun

  1. Usually shallows. (used with a singular or plural verb) a shallow part of a body of water; shoal.

adverb

  1. Baseball. at a shallow position:

    With the pitcher up, the outfielders played shallow.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to make or become shallow.

shallow

/ ˈʃæəʊ /

adjective

  1. having little depth
  2. lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. often plural a shallow place in a body of water; shoal
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to make or become shallow
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ󲹱Ƿɱ, adverb
  • ˈ󲹱ǷɲԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 󲹱lǷ· adverb
  • 󲹱lǷ·Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shallow1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English schalowe (adjective); akin to Old English sceald “shallow” ( shoal 1 )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shallow1

C15: related to Old English sceald shallow; see shoal 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Their bodies were found buried in shallow graves a week later next to the crushed vehicles.

From

Photographs from later on Friday showed the plane wreckage lying part-submerged in shallow water.

From

They hang out in the shallows and don’t bolt from predators.

From

Earlier on Tuesday, banking group the Institute of International Finance said it expected "a shallow recession" in the US later this year, with negative growth in the third and fourth quarters of 2025.

From

Score the ham: Cutting shallow slashes across the surface creates more surface area for caramelization and helps the glaze seep into every nook.

From

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shallotShalmaneser III