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. (used with a singular or plural verb),  Usually shallows. 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

/ ˈʃæləʊ /

adjective

1. having little depth

2. lacking intellectual or mental depth or subtlety; superficial

noun

1. (often plural) a shallow place in a body of water; shoal

verb

1. to make or become shallow

Other Word Forms

• shallowly adverb
• shallowness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shallow¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shallow¹

C15: related to Old English sceald shallow; see _shoal ¹

Example Sentences

To be classed as a shallow, an earthquake must occur less than 70km below the surface.

From BBC

It was shallow - only 8km deep - and was felt 140km away in the capital, Kabul, as well as in neighbouring Pakistan.

From BBC

The Chinese subs are also largely built for the shallower South China Sea, where a game of cat-and-mouse with the US is already under way.

From BBC

All four are such shallow snobs that they can’t imagine why Ivy would want to own Julia Child’s old stove when it’s, well, old.

From Los Angeles Times

While on holiday she was fascinated by their foraging behaviour as they moved gracefully through the shallow, saline wetlands, filter-feeding for molluscs and crustaceans.

From BBC

Related Words

• empty 
• foolish 
• frothy 
• hollow 
• trivial