as in nonchalant
having or showing a lack of interest or concern
the violinist delivered a perfunctory performance that displayed none of the passion and warmth he was once known for
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perfunctory
His expressions of alarm are detailed and expansive; his expressions of hope, perfunctory and brief.
—
Francis X. Rocca,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2026
The offstage material is pleasant but mostly perfunctory.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
From then on, the storytelling goes slack and perfunctory as sharks swarm and chomp on passengers and crew clinging for dear lives on rafts or slabs of plane wreckage.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
LaToya Jackson answers my questions in a polite but perfunctory monotone.
—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perfunctory
Francis X. Rocca,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2026
The offstage material is pleasant but mostly perfunctory.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
From then on, the storytelling goes slack and perfunctory as sharks swarm and chomp on passengers and crew clinging for dear lives on rafts or slabs of plane wreckage.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
LaToya Jackson answers my questions in a polite but perfunctory monotone.
—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for perfunctory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfunctory
Adjective
-
That play effectively started once defender Tim Ream tracked down a goal kick near the half-line, then passed up to Tyler Adams for a nonchalant back-heel pass to Tillman.
-
Chisholm is normally pretty nonchalant, and manager Aaron Boone is rather stoic and defends his players sometimes to a fault.
Adjective
-
On casual occasions, this T-shirt dress is an easy way to be presentable—and comfortable.
-
Plus, the simple silhouette easily transitions from daytime adventures to casual dinners.
Cite this Entry
“Perfunctory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfunctory. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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