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perfunctory

[per-fuhngk-tuh-ree] / pərˈfʌŋk tə ri /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Perhaps that explains her perfunctory, somewhat rote speech — which still didn’t detract from the joy of her win.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 8, 2026

And there’s nothing about this show that is perfunctory.

From Salon May 28, 2026

In addition, Ms. Kawakami’s prose can be flat and perfunctory.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 17, 2026

Right there, you have the perfect shadow-docket sandwich: perfunctory, bad decisionmaking, conclusory predictions about what constitutes an “emergency” and who’s going to win, decided in a couple of days, wiping out extensive factual findings.

From Slate Jan. 3, 2026

The one-eyed angel nodded a perfunctory “Hola” to Amarante, folded its beat-up wings—whose feathers rattled obscenely like those of a zopilote—and, like someone catering to hemorrhoids, eased painfully down nearby with an audible “Whew.”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols




Vocabulary lists containing perfunctory


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