How to Use perfunctory in a Sentence

perfunctory

adjective
Definition of perfunctorynext
Synonyms for perfunctorynext
  • In light of the attack, the fence around the campus looks puny, even perfunctory.
    — Ron Charles, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
  • One of them stuck his finger through the cage, and the raven pecked at it in a perfunctory manner.
    — New York Times, 21 Sep. 2021
  • But perfunctory sets like this one are hardly the stuff that dreams are made of.
    — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2021
  • The link between the two new structures still has a perfunctory look.
    — Justin Davidson, Daily Intelligencer, 13 Apr. 2018
  • In this scheme of things, norms and laws are perfunctory theater, at best.
    — Elizabeth Spiers, The New Republic, 24 July 2019
  • Use Slack for more than just sort of perfunctory work things.
    — Wired Staff, Wired, 13 Mar. 2020
  • The tiny flags pinned on so many politician’s lapels seemed less perfunctory and more like an act of faith.
    — Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2021
  • Each chamber's bill now moves to the other side for votes that should be perfunctory.
    — Sarah Rankin, Star Tribune, 5 Feb. 2021
  • The athlete wandered up and gave a perfunctory sniff of hello to a stranger, then wandered away again.
    — Krista Stevens, Longreads, 22 June 2018
  • Ampersand's perfunctory role throughout the first season proves that the show has no idea what to do with him.
    — Nick Schager, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2021
  • The composer sent a perfunctory note of praise and well wishes.
    — Ariel Shapiro, Forbes, 7 June 2021
  • First came the before pictures, as brightly lit and perfunctory as a mug shot.
    — Lena Dunham, Vogue, 12 Nov. 2018
  • A perfunctory hearing on the case will be held Thursday.
    — Clifford Ward, chicagotribune.com, 28 Apr. 2017
  • This step is not perfunctory, and has already led to at least one woman facing a felony.
    — Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 3 Aug. 2020
  • Here is one way to get away from the perfunctory holiday ham or stuffed poultry.
    — Mary Bergin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 Dec. 2019
  • This means that the day’s proceedings will not be perfunctory.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2021
  • The handshakes and hugs looked more heartfelt than perfunctory, and many lingered for more than a few seconds.
    — Garry Smits, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2021
  • Given the perfunctory 3-point line in favor of the home team, this one is bascially a Pick 'Em on paper.
    — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 12 Sep. 2022
  • Won a seal of approval from the NBA, even if that affirmation seemed a tad too perfunctory.
    — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 29 July 2020
  • There’s also a romance, perhaps the most perfunctory one this side of a children’s movie.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 May 2022
  • Stand-up special intros tend to be perfunctory, but this one perfectly sets the tone for the hour that follows.
    — Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2021
  • But the scenes on land seem rather perfunctory, if still pleasing and romantic.
    — Jocelyn Noveck, kansascity, 31 May 2018
  • Yet that is, inevitably, part of the appeal, as even a perfunctory glance at People and US Weekly would attest.
    — Brian Lowry, CNN, 8 July 2020
  • The result was two concerts in one, with the first half as dull and perfunctory as the second was animated and inspired.
    — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, 27 Apr. 2017
  • Getting rid of Joel is a bit of business so essential to the plot, it is performed in the most perfunctory way possible.
    — Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2018
  • Most of the time, people have perfunctory attitudes about youth and their future.
    — Kate Santich, OrlandoSentinel.com, 8 May 2018
  • But in the Trump era, even these perfunctory requests are contested.
    — Cristian Farias, Daily Intelligencer, 31 May 2018
  • Your younger brother just drowned in a perfunctory half-sentence.
    — Anthony Lydgate, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2022
  • Mind you, that doesn’t stop them from sneaking through the chlorine fog in gas masks, past troops firing perfunctory bullets into the dead or dying.
    — Nick Capozzoli, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2019
  • Ragnarok moves through all these perfunctory plot points quickly, because the movie trusts its audience enough to roll with it.
    — Kevin Nguyen, GQ, 1 Nov. 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perfunctory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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