shallow
gb/ʃˈæloʊ/ us/ʃˈæloʊ/
A2
English
~ 5000
sekély, lapos, felszínes, felületes, sekélyes, sekély víz, sekély rész
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a shallow [container/body of water]
The children played in the shallow end of the pool.
A gyerekek a medence sekély végében játszottak.
This river is quite shallow near the bank.
Ez a folyó a part közelében elég sekély.
Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl.
The boat got stuck in the shallow water.
The puddle was shallow enough to step over.
Learner examples
The lake is shallow here.
A tó itt sekély.
I put the soup in a shallow plate.
Lapos tányérba tettem a levest.
The water is shallow at the beach.
This box is shallow but wide.
A shallow hole is easy to fill.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'shallow' with 'narrow'. 'Shallow' refers to depth, not width.
Meaning
Not deep; having little depth
Collocations
shallow water
|shallow pool
|shallow dish
|shallow river
Synonyms
superficial (Can mean not deep physically or emotionally; often more figurative.)
Antonyms
deep (Describes something with a long distance from top to bottom, opposite of shallow physically.)
Themes
nature
|measurement
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not deep; with only a small space from the top to the bottom.
Having a small distance from the top surface to the bottom.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a shallow [person/remark/relationship]
He was criticized for his shallow understanding of the issue.
Bírálták, mert felszínesen értette a kérdést.
Their relationship was fun but shallow.
A kapcsolatuk szórakoztató volt, de felszínes.
The movie was entertaining but rather shallow.
She avoided shallow conversations and preferred deep discussions.
His shallow remarks upset many people.
Learner examples
He is a shallow man.
Felszínes ember.
The talk was shallow and boring.
Az előadás felszínes és unalmas volt.
They have a shallow friendship.
Her ideas are shallow.
That book is too shallow for me.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'shallow' meaning 'not deep' physically with 'shallow' meaning 'not deep' emotionally; context determines which is meant.
Meaning
Not serious or deep in thought or feelings
Collocations
shallow conversation
|shallow character
|shallow remark
Synonyms
superficial (Often used interchangeably in this sense, but 'superficial' can also mean 'on the surface' in a neutral context.)
Antonyms
profound (Describes deep thought or feeling, opposite of shallow in this sense.)
Themes
emotions
|personality
|social
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not showing serious thought or strong feelings; only interested in simple things.
Lacking seriousness, intelligence, or emotional depth.
NOUN
B1
3
sekély víz
A2
sekély rész
B1
The boat ran aground on the shallows near the shore.
A hajó megfeneklett a part közeli sekély vízben.
Fish gathered in the warm shallows of the bay.
Halak gyűltek össze az öböl meleg, sekély vizében.
Wading birds search for food in the shallows.
We anchored just beyond the shallows.
Divers avoided the shallows because of coral.
Learner examples
The fish swim in the shallows.
A halak a sekély vízben úsznak.
We walked through the shallows to the island.
A sekély vízen átgázoltunk a szigetre.
Boats cannot go into the shallows.
I saw crabs in the shallows.
The shallows are warm.
Meaning
A place in water that is not deep
Collocations
sandbar and shallows
|rocky shallows
Synonyms
shoal ('Shoal' is a more technical or nautical term for a shallow area in water.)
Themes
nature
|geography
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A part of a river, lake, or sea where the water is not deep.
An area of water where the depth is small compared to surrounding areas.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shallow
IPA
GB/ʃˈæloʊ/
US/ʃˈæloʊ/
Syllables & stress
shal - low (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (shal)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: shallow
- Comparative: shallower
- Superlative: shallowest
Word family
Forms
shallower
adjective
shallowest
adjective
Core family
shallowly
adverb
shallowness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
deep
adjective A2
Expressions
in the shallows
1/ˈɪn ðə ʃˈæloʊz/
fixed phrase
Located in water that is not deep
In a part of water that has little depth.
Examples
- We found starfish in the shallows near the beach.
- The canoe got stuck in the shallows.
shallow end
1/ʃˈæloʊ ˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
Less deep part of a pool
The part of a swimming pool where the water is not deep.
Examples
- Children should stay in the shallow end of the pool.
- I swam from the shallow end to the deep end.