shallowadjective
uk/ˈʃæl.əʊ/us/ˈʃæl.oʊ/shallow adjective (NOT DEEP)
B2 having only a short distance from the top to the bottom:
The stream was fairly shallow so we were able to walk across it.
She told her children to stay in the shallow end (of the swimming pool).
Fry the onions in a shallow pan.
These beech trees have shallow roots (= roots which do not go very deep into the ground).
shallow breathing
breathing in which you only take a small amount of air into your lungs with each breath
More examples
- The kids were splashing about in the shallow end of the swimming pool.
- Several different species of fish inhabit these shallow waters.
- We waded through a shallow river.
- The water was shallow so the kids were perfectly safe.
- In the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs attract shoals of fish.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Low, short and shallow
- (as) long as your arm idiom
- brief
- knee-high
- long
- longish
- low
- low slung
- short
- short
- short-range
- shortish
- shorty
- shrimp
- squat
- stumpy
- stunted
- sunken
- undersized
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Animal physiology: breathing & stopping breathing
shallow adjective (NOT SERIOUS)
C2 disapproving not showing serious or careful thought:
I thought the film was pretty shallow.
He's physically attractive, but shallow.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Not showing careful thought
- airy
- cuff
- flip
- flippant
- frivolity
- frivolous
- ill-conceived
- incautious
- lightweight
- off the cuff idiom
- pat
- preconceived
- shoot
- shoot from the hip idiom
- skin-deep
- superficial
- thoughtless
- unconsidered
- unthinking
- wild
shallowly
adverb uk/ˈʃæl.əʊ.li/us/ˈʃæl.oʊ.li/
shallowness
noun [ U ] uk/ˈʃæl.əʊ.nəs/us/ˈʃæl.oʊ.nəs/
Because of the shallowness of the water, we could see the fish in it very clearly.
The fine performances of the actors hide the shallowness of the play's script.
shallownoun
uk/ˈʃæl.əʊ/us/ˈʃæl.oʊ/the shallows [ plural ]
the shallow part of an area of water:
Alligators live in the shallows.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Coasts & beaches
- beached
- beachfront
- coast
- flat
- hinterland
- lido
- mudflat
- offshore
- onshore
- promenade
- reef
- riviera
- rock pool
- sabkha
- sand
- seafront
- the seashore
- the waterside
- tide pool
- waterfront
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