ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shallow

adj. · n. · v.
US //ˈʃæɫoʊ// UK //ʃˈæləʊ// shal·low
  1. 1 not deep water (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    having only a short distance from the top to the bottom.

    having little physical depth; measuring a small distance from the surface to the base.

    Example

    The children played in the shallow end of the swimming pool.

    Example

    The boat ran aground in the shallow waters near the coast, as the captain had underestimated how much the tide had receded.
  2. 2 superficial person (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing someone who only cares about unimportant things like looks or money.

    lacking intellectual or emotional depth; concerned only with obvious or superficial matters.

    Example

    He is a bit shallow and only dates people who look like models.

    Example

    Critics dismissed the novel as shallow, arguing that the author failed to explore the complex psychological motivations of the protagonists.
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  1. 3 breathing (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    describing breaths that do not take much air into the lungs.

    characterised by a lack of physical penetration or intensity, specifically regarding respiration.

    Example

    The patient was taking quick, shallow breaths after the accident.

    Example

    The paramedic noticed the victim's shallow breathing and immediately checked for a blocked airway.
  2. 4 not steep (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    having a very gentle slope that is almost flat.

    having a low gradient or angle; approaching the horizontal.

    Example

    The ramp has a shallow slope to make it easier for wheelchairs.

    Example

    The roof was designed with a shallow pitch to comply with local height restrictions while maintaining a modern aesthetic.
  3. 5 area of low water (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    a place in a river or sea where the water is not deep.

    an area of a body of water where the depth is significantly reduced.

    Example

    The small fish gathered in the shallows to hide from larger predators.

    Example

    Wading through the shallows, the researchers collected samples of the unique seagrass that only grows in sunlit, low-depth environments.
  4. 6 to become less deep (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    to become less deep over time.

    to decrease in depth; often used in nautical or geological contexts to describe a seabed rising.

    Example

    The river began to shallow as it filled with sand and mud.

    Example

    The coastal charts must be updated frequently because the shifting currents cause the channel to shallow unpredictably.
    • silt up
Origin

From Middle English schalowe (“not deep, shallow”); apparently related to Middle English schalde, schold, scheld, schealde (“shallow”), from Old English sċeald (“shallow”), from Proto-Germanic skal-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelh₁- (“to parch, dry out”). Related to Low German Scholl (“shallow water”). See also shoal.

Idioms1 entry

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