Synonyms for perfunctory
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Cursory — done only or merely to conform to a minimal standard or to fulfill a protocol or presumptive duty
cursory, obligatory, superficial, careless, unthinking, formal, listless, indifferent, uninterested, casual, heedless, passing, automatic, token, negligent, reckless, pro forma, nonchalant, thoughtless, mindless, unconcerned, insouciant
2. Slipshod — performed in a careless or indifferent manner as a thing of rote
Other
routine, slovenly, perfunctorious dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Done only or merely to conform to a minimal standard or to fulfill a protocol or presumptive duty.
- adj. 2
Performed in a careless or indifferent manner as a thing of rote.
He did a perfunctory job cleaning his dad's car, finishing quickly but leaving a few spots still dirty.
Related words
- Word family
- perfunctorily perfunctoriness
Example sentences
- careless It is very careless of you to leave the door open.
- superficial He has only a superficial knowledge of the matter.
- obligatory Fasting in Ramadan is obligatory for every Muslim.
- cursory He gave the material a cursory reading.
- routine His comedy routine has got a lot better over time.
- slovenly As to his daily life, he is very slovenly.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| perfunctory | steady | |
| careless | steady | |
| superficial | steady | |
| obligatory | steady | |
| cursory | steady | |
| routine | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- token2
- 6 letters
- formal2, casual3
- 7 letters
- passing2, routine2, cursory3
- 8 letters
- reckless2, careless2, mindless2, listless2, slovenly3, heedless, slipshod2
- 9 letters
- automatic4, negligent3
- 10 letters
- mechanical4, obligatory5, nonchalant3, unthinking3, insouciant3
- 11 letters
- superficial4, indifferent3, thoughtless2, unconcerned3
- 12 letters
- uninterested4
- 14 letters
- perfunctorious
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (token2 = 2 syllables).