shallow

  • 1Shallow — Shal low, a. [Compar. {Shallower}; superl. {Shallowest}.] [OE. schalowe, probably originally, sloping or shelving; cf. Icel. skj[=a]lgr wry, squinting, AS. sceolh, D. & G. scheel, OHG. schelah. Cf. {Shelve} to slope, {Shoal} shallow.] 1. Not… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2shallow — [shal′ō] adj. [ME shalow < OE * scealw < IE base * (s)kel , to dry out > SHOAL2, Gr skellein] 1. not deep [a shallow lake] 2. lacking depth of character, intellect, or meaning; superficial 3. slight; weak [shallow breathing] …

    English World dictionary

  • 3Shallow — Shal low, v. t. To make shallow. Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4Shallow — Shal low, v. i. To become shallow, as water. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5shallow — [adj1] not deep cursory, depthless, empty, flat, hollow, inconsiderable, sand bar, shelf, shoal, slight, superficial, surface, trifling, trivial, unsound; concepts 737,777 Ant. deep shallow [adj2] unintelligent, ignorant cursory, empty, empty… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6shallow — ► ADJECTIVE 1) of little depth. 2) not showing, requiring, or capable of serious thought. ► NOUN (shallows) ▪ a shallow area of water. DERIVATIVES shallowly adverb shallowness noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7Shallow — Shal low, n. 1. A place in a body of water where the water is not deep; a shoal; a flat; a shelf. [1913 Webster] A swift stream is not heard in the channel, but upon shallows of gravel. Bacon. [1913 Webster] Dashed on the shallows of the moving… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 8shallow — index barren, cursory, fatuous, frivolous, puerile, superficial, trivial, volatile Burton s Legal Thesaurus …

    Law dictionary

  • 9shallow — (adj.) c.1400, schalowe not deep, probably from O.E. sceald (see SHOAL (Cf. shoal)). Of breathing, attested from 1875; of thought or feeling, superficial, first recorded 1580s. The noun, usually shallows, is first recorded 1570s, from the… …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 10shallow — adj *superficial, cursory, uncritical Analogous words: slim, slight, slender, *thin: trivial, trifling, *petty, paltry: empty, hollow, idle, *vain …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms