cursory
Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
Examples
In a meeting
“I've only given the proposal a cursory review so far—I'll need more time for details.”
Over coffee
“I gave the instructions a cursory look and totally missed the important part.”
Why this word
quick
cursory emphasizes superficiality and lack of thoroughness, quick just means fast
brief
brief describes length, cursory specifically means hasty and therefore not detailed or thorough
superficial
superficial describes depth, cursory specifically means rapidly performed without attention to detail
Usage tip
Use to acknowledge or criticize insufficient attention; often paired with 'glance' or 'review'
Etymology
Latin 'cursorius' from 'cursus' (course, running)
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Related words
rigorous
Extremely thorough and careful
spotlight
To draw attention to or highlight something important
disregard
To pay no attention to or ignore deliberately
scrutinize
Examine something very carefully and thoroughly
flagging
To mark something for attention or review
mitigate
To make something less severe, serious, or painful.