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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Recent Examples of perfunctory
Not De Niro, who delivers one of the most perfunctory performances of his career.
—
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
After a perfunctory campaign ahead of the launch, Apple has released the M4 MacBook Air.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The Hold, its halls bereft of the zealots, liars, and dung-eating murderers who haunt it in Elden Ring, feels empty and perfunctory.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
By the 1990s, most of Corman’s product saw only a perfunctory theatrical release and mostly went straight to VHS or late-night cable.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perfunctory
Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
After a perfunctory campaign ahead of the launch, Apple has released the M4 MacBook Air.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The Hold, its halls bereft of the zealots, liars, and dung-eating murderers who haunt it in Elden Ring, feels empty and perfunctory.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025
By the 1990s, most of Corman’s product saw only a perfunctory theatrical release and mostly went straight to VHS or late-night cable.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perfunctory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfunctory
Adjective
-
The collection’s journey touched down in Argentina, the Scottish Highlands, as well as New Zealand and Australia, home of its merino wool, for a refined traveler’s wardrobe crafted from top-notch fabrications exuding nonchalant sophistication.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
8 July 2025
-
At half-time, as Rayan Cherki enjoyed 15 minutes of nonchalant showboating, an altogether more ferocious warm-up was taking place just across the pitch.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Visitors have their pick of food options, including coastal cuisine, farm-to-table meals, and casual spots with live music.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
-
Corrie and Shuai Wang, owners of North Charleston’s popular Jackrabbit Filly, opened King BBQ in a casual diner-style space in late 2023.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perfunctory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfunctory. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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