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GRE vocabulary

perfunctory

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore P words

done carelessly or with minimal effort, merely as a routine

Word origin: From Latin perfunctorius, careless, from perfungi, to get through with.

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In a sentence

Perfunctory in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing perfunctory in a sentence.

The inspector gave the building a perfunctory glance and signed off.

The inspector gave the facility only a perfunctory glance before signing off on the report.

Synonyms
cursorysuperficialmechanicalhalfhearted
Antonyms
thoroughdiligentcareful
Usage & nuance

Using “perfunctory” well

Perfunctory describes action done merely to satisfy a requirement, with no real care or interest behind it.

Common questions

Questions about “perfunctory

Perfunctory (adjective) means done carelessly or with minimal effort, merely as a routine
Here is perfunctory used in an example sentence: "The inspector gave the building a perfunctory glance and signed off." Another example: "The inspector gave the facility only a perfunctory glance before signing off on the report."
Common synonyms for perfunctory include cursory, superficial, mechanical, halfhearted.
Antonyms of perfunctory include thorough, diligent, careful.
Pair perfunctory with cursory, superficial, mechanical, and halfhearted in Sentence Equivalence, opposing thorough, diligent, and careful.
Yes. Perfunctory is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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