cursory

Group 1Difficulty 2/3

Definition

(adjective)
Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
GRE

Example in Context

A cursory glance at the report revealed several glaring errors that a more careful review would have caught immediately.

Synonyms

quickhastysuperficial

Etymology

Running through something quickly, leading to a lack of detail!

  • cursus (Latin) — a running

Memory Aid

🏃‍♂️Sounds like “cur sore he

Imagine a CURIOUS person running so fast they say, 'I’m CURSORY, don’t ask me for details!'

Visual Association

🏃‍♀️A person skimming through a book at lightning speed, missing all the important details.

Semantic Clusters

Synonym Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “cursory” mean on the GRE?

cursory (adjective) means “Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed”. A cursory glance at the report revealed several glaring errors that a more careful review would have caught immediately.

How to remember “cursory” for the GRE?

Mnemonic: “cursory” sounds like “cur sore he”. Imagine a CURIOUS person running so fast they say, 'I’m CURSORY, don’t ask me for details!'

What are synonyms for “cursory”?

Common synonyms: quick, hasty, superficial.