Standard Lemma guide

cursory

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈkɜː.sə.ɹi/
  • UK: /ˈkɜːs.ɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈkɝː.sə.ɹi/
  • US: /ˈkɝːs.ɹi/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈkɵː.sɘ.ɹi/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈkɵːs.ɹi/
  • CMU ARPABET: K ER1 S ER0 IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Hasty or superficial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • cursory glance
  • A cursory view of the report revealed his egregious errors.
  • Most junk mail requires only a cursory glance.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fleeting, swift, cursory, express, fast, expeditious, feverish, fleet, greased lightning, hasty, hectic, hectical, hyperactive, immediate, lightning fast, nimble, post haste, precipitant, quick, quick as a flash, quicksome, rapid, speedful, speedy, spit-spot, tripsome, zippy

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Careless or desultory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The cursory inspection missed several irregularities.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unmethodical, negligent, careless, cursory, derelict, heedless, irregardless, irrespective, lash, lax, neglectful, reckless, regardless, remiss, slack, slapdash, sloppy, slovenly, slipshod, unfaithful

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Running about; not stationary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dynamic, mobile, afoot, animate, astir, cursory, in motion, moving, on the move, on the wing, under sail, unstill

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws
  • a passing glance
  • perfunctory courtesy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: casual, passing(a), perfunctory

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French cursoire (“rapid”), from Latin cursorius (“hasty, of a race or running”).

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: бе́гъл (bégǎl) — hasty, superficial
  • Bulgarian: повъ́рхностен (povǎ́rhnosten) — hasty, superficial
  • Czech: zběžný — hasty, superficial
  • Danish: kursorisk — hasty, superficial
  • Danish: overfladisk — hasty, superficial
  • Dutch: haastig — hasty, superficial
  • Dutch: oppervlakkig — hasty, superficial
  • Dutch: vluchtig — hasty, superficial
  • Finnish: pintapuolinen — hasty, superficial
  • Finnish: pikainen — hasty, superficial
  • Finnish: kursorinen — hasty, superficial
  • French: rapide — hasty, superficial
  • French: superficiel — hasty, superficial
  • German: oberflächlich — hasty, superficial
  • German: flüchtig — hasty, superficial
  • Italian: rapido — hasty, superficial
  • Italian: distratto — hasty, superficial
  • Italian: sbrigativo — hasty, superficial
  • Persian: سرسری (sarsari) — hasty, superficial
  • Polish: pobieżny — hasty, superficial
  • Russian: бе́глый (béglyj) — hasty, superficial
  • Russian: пове́рхностный (povérxnostnyj) — hasty, superficial
  • Swedish: hastig — hasty, superficial
  • Swedish: flyktig — hasty, superficial
  • Swedish: ytlig — hasty, superficial
  • Yiddish: אויבנאויפֿיק (oybnoyfik) — hasty, superficial
  • Bulgarian: повъ́рхностен (povǎ́rhnosten) — careless, desultory