perfunctory
Done without care
Perfunctory describes something done with minimal effort or interest, merely going through the motions: a perfunctory handshake, a perfunctory inspection.
The word suggests obligation without engagement—the act is completed but without care or enthusiasm.
He gave the report a perfunctory glance before signing off.
Lacking depth or substance
- cursoryHasty and incomplete
- shallowWithout much depth
- tokenRepresentative placeholder
- surfaceOutermost boundary layer
skin-deep · nominal · cosmetic · passing · fleeting · brief · hasty · rushed
Operating without intervention
- roboticStiff and unemotional
- roteMemorization through repetition
- routineRegular sequence of actions
- habitualDone by routine
unthinking · formulaic · ritualistic · procedural · dutiful · obligatory · mindless · reflexive
Lacking sincere commitment
- unenthusiasticWithout eagerness or passion
- apatheticWithout feeling or concern
- indifferentLacking interest or concern
- lukewarmMildly warm temperature
tepid · lackluster · listless · uninspired · disinterested · detached · unmoved · uninterested
superficial
Lacking depth or substance
surface · skin-deep · nominal · cosmetic · passing · fleeting · brief · hasty · rushed · quick
automatic
Operating without intervention
habitual · unthinking · formulaic · ritualistic · procedural · dutiful · obligatory · mindless · reflexive · wooden
halfhearted
Lacking sincere commitment
- unenthusiasticWithout eagerness or passion
- apatheticWithout feeling or concern
- indifferentLacking interest or concern
lukewarm · tepid · lackluster · listless · uninspired · disinterested · detached · unmoved · uninterested · bored
- slapdashsloppy, hasty, rushed, careless, haphazard
- work traitshardworking, diligent, productive, efficient, lazy
- superficialshallow, surface, skin-deep, depthless, cursory
- fancy wordsgrandiloquent, magniloquent, sesquipedalian, pulchritudinous, tintinnabulation
- shoddinessslipshod, slapdash, hack job, botch job, botch
- Office Bureaucracypaperwork, filing, approval, sign-off, compliance
perfunctorythorough
Complete in every detail
meticulous · exhaustive · diligent · careful · painstaking
perfunctorysincere
Genuinely felt, not feigned
genuine · wholehearted · heartfelt · earnest · passionate
perfunctoryenthusiastic
Showing intense eager enjoyment
attentive · engaged · interested · mindful · eager