Perfunctory \Per*func"to*ry\ (p[~e]r*f[u^][ng]k"t[-o]*r[y^]), a.
[L. perfunctorius, fr. perfunctus dispatched, p. p. of
perfungi to discharge, dispatch; per (see Per) + fungi to
perform. See Function.]
1. Done merely to get rid of a duty; performed mechanically
and as a thing of rote; done in a careless and superficial
manner; characterized by indifference; as, perfunctory
admonitions; a perfunctory greeting. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
2. Hence: Mechanical; indifferent; listless; careless.
"Perfunctory in his devotions." --Sharp.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
perfunctory
adj 1: hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; "a
casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the
house's structural flaws"; "a passing glance";
"perfunctory courtesy" [syn: casual, cursory, passing(a)]
2: as a formality only; "a one-candidate pro forma election"
[syn: pro forma]
WordNet (r) 2.0
120 Moby Thesaurus words for "perfunctory":
Laodicean, airy, apathetic, at odds, ataractic, automatic, averse,
backward, balking, balky, blase, businesslike, careless, casual,
cold, cool, cursory, degage, devil-may-care, differing, dilatory,
disagreeing, disinclined, disinterested, dismissive, disobedient,
dispassionate, disregardant, disregardful, distant, easygoing,
fervorless, fleeting, flippant, forced, forgetful, formal,
fractious, free and easy, grudging, halfhearted, hasty, heedless,
hurried, impersonal, inattentive, inconsiderate, incurious,
indifferent, indisposed, indocile, inexcitable, insouciant,
involuntary, lackadaisical, laggard, lazy, listless, loath,
lukewarm, mechanical, mindless, mutinous, negligent, neuter,
neutral, nonchalant, oblivious, offhand, opposed, pococurante,
recalcitrant, reckless, refractory, regardless, reluctant, removed,
renitent, resistant, respectless, restive, routine, rushed,
sketchy, slipshod, slovenly, slow, slow to, spotty, standard,
stock, sulky, sullen, superficial, tactless, tepid, thoughtless,
turned-off, unanxious, unaware, unconcerned, unconsenting,
undiplomatic, undiscriminating, unenthusiastic, unheedful,
unheeding, uninterested, uninvolved, unmindful, unprepared,
unready, unsolicitous, untactful, unthinking, unwilling, unzealous,
usual, wooden, zealless
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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