shallow

Universal Words adjective (shallower, shallowest) 1 not having much distance between the top or surface and the bottom: a shallow dish * They were playing in the shallow end (= of the swimming pool). * These fish are found in shallow waters around the coast. * The body was found in a shallow grave. * shallow roots (= that grow near the surface of the ground) OPPDEEP 2 (disapproving) (of a person, an idea, a comment, etc.) not showing serious thought, feelings, etc. about sth: This shows how shallow their commitment to the environment really is. 3 shallow breathing involves taking in only a small amount of air each time shallowly adverb: He was breathing shallowly. shallowness noun [U]