shallow
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Not deep, with the bottom close to the top.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
shalohSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈʃæloʊ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.
Extending not far downward.
Lacking interest or substance; flat; one-dimensional.
Not deep or strong; not affecting one deeply
Not intellectually deep; not penetrating deeply; simple; not wise or knowing.
of an angle
Not steep; close to horizontal.
noun
A fish, the rudd.
A stretch of shallow water
A shallow portion of an otherwise deep body of water.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.
Used this way, shallow is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It suits considered writing and prepared speech.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Formal and precise
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use shallow
- “The shallow end of the pool is perfect for young swimmers.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Of vessels whose keel is not far below the waterline.
Of vessels whose keel is not far below the waterline.
Fording at a shallow place.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.