perfunctory

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.

Ms. Campbell, never the most beguiling actress, has appeared in every entry except “Scream VI” and gives another perfunctory performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 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

Fifteen minutes after Celtic issued the news of Brendan Rodgers' shock resignation via a perfunctory five-paragraph, 134-word statement, the howitzer landed, courtesy of Dermot Desmond, with whiskers twitching in apparent fury.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

Norm doesn’t treat the inquiry — “How’s the world treating you, Norm?” — as perfunctory pleasantry.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

With the passage of time, as well as a somewhat closed- off memory, I managed to live a perfunctory life.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry