SHALLOW | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of shallow in English shallowadjective uk /ˈʃæl.əʊ/ us /ˈʃæl.oʊ/

shallow adjective (NOT DEEP)

Add to word list Add to word list 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). Opposite deep (TOP TO BOTTOM) having a small distance from the bottom to the top
  • lowThe garden was surrounded by a low hedge.
  • shortHe's much shorter than I thought.
  • shallowStay in the shallow end of the pool, please.
  • low-lyingLow-lying areas are prone to flooding.
  • squatI wish they'd tear down that squat block of flats.
See more results » consisting of very few people or things: We are dealing with a very shallow pool of candidates. not completely certain or convincing: Many natives see their rural way of life here increasingly circumscribed by outside "environmentalists" with shallow local roots. shallow breathing breathing in which you only take a small amount of air into your lungs with each breath: Symptoms include rapid shallow breathing, dizziness, and nose bleeds. See more
  • 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.
  • Horse owners invest millions of dollars in their stables - only to discover no more than a shallow pool of people competent to ride.
  • Ray said Kerry's "shallow roots " don't make him a Coloradan.
Low, short and shallow
  • a step down idiom
  • ankle-deep
  • brief
  • fubsy
  • knee-high
  • level
  • little person
  • longish
  • low
  • shallowly
  • shallowness
  • short
  • short-range
  • shorten
  • shortness
  • squatly
  • squatty
  • stumpy
  • stunted
  • sunken
See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Small in number and quantity Uncertainty Believable

shallow adjective (NOT STEEP)

not going very quickly from low to high or from high to low: The aircraft climbed at a shallow angle. She raced along the shallow slope down to the stream.
  • The road continued up a shallow hill before turning eastwards.
  • Try to hold the torch at a shallow angle to the surface.
  • This time we laid the pipe at a shallower angle.
Geometry: describing angles, lines & orientations
  • affine
  • affinely
  • angle of incidence
  • angular
  • angularity
  • angularly
  • diagonal
  • horizontally
  • in a straight line
  • in the corner of something
  • interior angle
  • multiaxial
  • straight angle
  • subtend
  • supplementary
  • supplementary angle
  • tangency
  • tangential
  • translatory
  • upright
See more results »

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. Not showing careful thought
  • airily
  • airiness
  • airy
  • bang something out phrasal verb
  • bash
  • bash something out phrasal verb
  • frivolous
  • frivolously
  • ill-conceived
  • incaution
  • incautious
  • non-negligent
  • non-thinking
  • off the cuff idiom
  • preconceived
  • shallowly
  • thoughtless
  • unconsidered
  • unreflective
  • unthinking
See more results »

Related words

shallowly shallowness shallownoun uk /ˈʃæl.əʊ/ us /ˈʃæl.oʊ/ the shallows [ plural ] the shallow part of an area of water: in the shallows Alligators live in the shallows. See more (Definition of shallow from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

shallow | American Dictionary

shallowadjective [ -er/-est only ] us /ˈʃæl·oʊ/

shallow adjective [-er/-est only] (NOT DEEP)

Add to word list Add to word list having only a short distance from the top to the bottom: shallow water Transfer the tofu and broccoli to a shallow bowl.

shallow adjective [-er/-est only] (NOT SERIOUS)

not showing serious or careful thought or real understanding: Reviewers called the book lightweight, shallow, and simplistic. (Definition of shallow from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) What is the pronunciation of shallow?

Translations of shallow

in Chinese (Traditional) 不深的, 淺的,不深的, 不嚴肅的… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 不深的, 浅的,不深的, 不严肃的… See more in Spanish poco profundo, superficial, poco profundo/da [masculine-feminine… See more in Portuguese raso, superficial, raso/-sa… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian उथळ… See more 浅い, 浅はかな, 浅薄(せんぱく)な… See more sığ, derin olmayan, yüzeysel… See more peu profond/-onde, superficiel/-elle, peu profond… See more poc fondo, superficial… See more ondiep, oppervlakkig… See more மேலிருந்து கீழாக சிறிது தூரம் மட்டுமே கொண்ட ஒன்று, தீவிரமான அல்லது கவனமான சிந்தனையைக் காட்டவில்லை… See more छिछला, खोखला और गंभीर नहीं… See more છીછરું, આછકલું… See more lav, overfladisk… See more grund, ytlig… See more cetek, berfikiran cetek… See more seicht, oberflächlich… See more grunn, overfladisk, overflatisk… See more کم گہرا, اتھلا, اوچھا… See more мілкий, мілководний, поверховий… See more లోతులేని/పై నుండి క్రిందికి కొద్ది దూరం మాత్రమే ఉండే, తీవ్రంగా లేదా జాగ్రత్తగా ఆలోచించకపోవడం… See more অগভীর… See more mělký, povrchní… See more dangkal, picik… See more ตื้น, ไม่ลึกซึ้ง… See more nông, cạn, nông cạn… See more płytki… See more 얕은, 피상적인… See more poco profondo, basso, superficiale… See more Need a translator?

Get a quick, free translation!

Translator tool

Browse

shale gas shale oil BETA shall shallot shallow shallow breathing phrase shallow-fried shallow-fry shallow-frying {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of shallow

  • shallow-fry
  • shallow breathing phrase
See all meanings
  • shallow breathing phrase

Word of the Day

be as fresh as a daisy

to be full of energy and enthusiasm

About this

Blog

The beginning of the end? Phrases with ‘end’ (2)

December 10, 2025 Read More

New Words

vibe working December 08, 2025 More new words has been added to list To top AI icon AI Assistant Contents EnglishAmericanTranslations AI icon AI Assistant {{#displayLoginPopup}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Learn more with +Plus

Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content: Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans Sign up now or Log in Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Learn more with +Plus

Create word lists and quizzes for free Sign up now or Log in {{/displayLoginPopup}} {{#displayClassicSurvey}} {{/displayClassicSurvey}}
  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
  • My profile
  • +Plus help
  • Log out
AI Assistant Dictionary Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English English–Danish Danish–English English–Dutch Dutch–English English–French French–English English–German German–English English–Indonesian Indonesian–English English–Italian Italian–English English–Japanese Japanese–English English–Norwegian Norwegian–English English–Polish Polish–English English–Portuguese Portuguese–English English–Spanish Spanish–English English–Swedish Swedish–English Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese Translate Grammar Thesaurus Pronunciation Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games {{userName}}
  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
  • My profile
  • +Plus help
  • Log out
Log in / Sign up English (UK) Change English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Follow us Choose a dictionary
  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • Translation Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries
    • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
    • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
    • English–Danish Danish–English
    • English–Dutch Dutch–English
    • English–French French–English
    • English–German German–English
    • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
    • English–Italian Italian–English
    • English–Japanese Japanese–English
    • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
    • English–Polish Polish–English
    • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
    • English–Spanish Spanish–English
    • English–Swedish Swedish–English
    Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
Choose your language English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Contents
  • English   
    • Adjective 
      • shallow (NOT DEEP)
      • shallow breathing
      • shallow (NOT STEEP)
      • shallow (NOT SERIOUS)
    • Noun 
      • the shallows
  • American   
    • Adjective 
      • shallow (NOT DEEP)
      • shallow (NOT SERIOUS)
  • Translations
  • Grammar
  • All translations
My word lists

To add shallow to a word list please sign up or log in.

Sign up or Log in My word lists

Add shallow to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

Something went wrong.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{name}} More Go to your word lists {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

Something went wrong.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} Tell us about this example sentence: The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

There was a problem sending your report.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

There was a problem sending your report.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}}

Tag » What Does Being Shallow Mean