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shallow Synonyms

Another word for shallow

Choosing another word for shallow depends on context, so the 24 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 5 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Of little depth; measuring only a short distance from the top or surface to the bottom.

Usage Example

"The children played safely in the shoal water near the shore."

Strong
shoal
knee-deep
ankle-deep
Weak
surface
flat

• adjective (Context 2)

Lacking intellectual, emotional, or moral depth; concerned only with surface appearances or trivial matters.

Usage Example

"Critics dismissed the novel for its superficial characterization and predictable plot."

Strongest
superficial
surface-level
Strong
trivial
frivolous
vacuous
glib
skin-deep
facile
cursory
empty

• noun (Context 3)

An area of a sea, lake, or river where the water is not very deep (usually used in the plural).

Usage Example

"Small fish darted among the reeds in the warm shallows of the lake."

Strongest
shoal
Strong
sandbar
sandbank
flat
ford
Weak
bar

• adjective (Context 4)

Taking in or expelling only a small amount of air (of breathing or respiration).

Usage Example

"The patient's breathing was rapid and light after the strenuous exercise."

Strong
light
faint
short
weak

• verb (Context 5)

To become or make less deep over time.

Usage Example

"The river channel gradually shallows as it approaches the wide sandy delta."

Strongest
shoal
Weak
silt up

Opposites of shallow

The opposite of shallow shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

deepen
profound
deep
depths
insightful
substantive
bottomless
thoughtful
See all opposites of shallow

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Shallow. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/shallow
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