perfunctory
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 21
- Words With Friends
- 24
- Letters
- 11
/pəˈfʌŋk.t(ə)ɹɪ/
(UK)
See all 2 pronunciations Show less
/pəˈfʌŋk.t(ə)ɹɪ/ (UK) · /pɚˈfʌŋk.tɚ.i/ (US)
Definition of perfunctory
2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included
adj
-
Done only or merely to conform to a minimal standard or to fulfill a protocol or presumptive duty.
“I caught the gist of what he was saying--which in effect was that he had found and captured this Galu, that she was his and that he defied anyone to question his right of possession. It appeared to me, as I afterward learned was the fact, that I was witnessing the most primitive of marriage ceremonies. The assembled members of the tribe looked on and listened in a sort of dull and perfunctory apathy, for the speaker was by far the mightiest of the clan.”
“He then poured some wine for me to taste, and harassed me with perfunctory courtesies that had to be acknowledged.”
“The second section of the episode charged from Winterfell to Highgarden and Oldtown in a way that felt perfunctory. I found myself asking, “We’re just getting to Winterfell?””
“Even as former administration officials and Democratic leaders called on the president to tell his supporters to “go home,” Mr. Trump for hours did little to discourage them from storming the building. Instead, he issued two perfunctory tweets in which he asked them merely to remain “peaceful.””
See all 2 definitions Show less
adj
-
Done only or merely to conform to a minimal standard or to fulfill a protocol or presumptive duty.
“I caught the gist of what he was saying--which in effect was that he had found and captured this Galu, that she was his and that he defied anyone to question his right of possession. It appeared to me, as I afterward learned was the fact, that I was witnessing the most primitive of marriage ceremonies. The assembled members of the tribe looked on and listened in a sort of dull and perfunctory apathy, for the speaker was by far the mightiest of the clan.”
“He then poured some wine for me to taste, and harassed me with perfunctory courtesies that had to be acknowledged.”
“The second section of the episode charged from Winterfell to Highgarden and Oldtown in a way that felt perfunctory. I found myself asking, “We’re just getting to Winterfell?””
“Even as former administration officials and Democratic leaders called on the president to tell his supporters to “go home,” Mr. Trump for hours did little to discourage them from storming the building. Instead, he issued two perfunctory tweets in which he asked them merely to remain “peaceful.””
-
Performed in a careless or indifferent manner as a thing of rote.
“He did a perfunctory job cleaning his dad's car, finishing quickly but leaving a few spots still dirty.”
“Alternatively it may mean that a perfunctory search is enough to ensure that a purchase is acceptable, so less search is carried out.”
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Etymology
From Late Latin perfunctōrius (“careless, negligent”), from the past participial stem of perfungor, perfunct- (“perform, carry through”), from per- + fungor.
Words you can make from perfunctory
200+ playable · top: CUPFERRON (16 pts)
Best play cupferron 16 points8-letter words
2 words7-letter words
31 words- PUTREFY 15 pts
- TORPEFY 15 pts
- ENCRYPT 14 pts
- POTENCY 14 pts
- TORREFY 13 pts
- CENTURY 12 pts
- CONFUTE 12 pts
- COUNTRY 12 pts
- CROFTER 12 pts
- ENTROPY 12 pts
- FROUNCE 12 pts
- FUNCTOR 12 pts
- RECTORY 12 pts
- UPFRONT 12 pts
- CORRUPT 11 pts
- PORRECT 11 pts
- POUNCER 11 pts
- PROCURE 11 pts
- FORERUN 10 pts
- FORTUNE 10 pts
- FRONTER 10 pts
- REFRONT 10 pts
- TOURNEY 10 pts
- TURNERY 10 pts
- CORNUTE 9 pts
- COUNTER 9 pts
- COURTER 9 pts
- CURRENT 9 pts
- RECOUNT 9 pts
- TROUNCE 9 pts
- TROUPER 9 pts
6-letter words
51 words- COTYPE 13 pts
- CROUPY 13 pts
- CRYPTO 13 pts
- RECOPY 13 pts
- CONFER 11 pts
- COUNTY 11 pts
- FORCER 11 pts
- OUTCRY 11 pts
- PENURY 11 pts
- POETRY 11 pts
- PRUNEY 11 pts
- PYRONE 11 pts
- ROPERY 11 pts
- COPTER 10 pts
- CREPON 10 pts
- CROUPE 10 pts
- POUNCE 10 pts
- PRECUT 10 pts
- RECOUP 10 pts
- FURORE 9 pts
- ORNERY 9 pts
- CONURE 8 pts
- CORNER 8 pts
- CORNET 8 pts
- COUTER 8 pts
- CROUTE 8 pts
- CURTER 8 pts
- OUNCER 8 pts
- PERRON 8 pts
- PORTER 8 pts
- POURER 8 pts
- POUTER 8 pts
- PRETOR 8 pts
- PRONER 8 pts
- PRUNER 8 pts
- PUNTER 8 pts
- RECTOR 8 pts
- REPORT 8 pts
- REPOUR 8 pts
- RETCON 8 pts
- ROUPET 8 pts
- TROUPE 8 pts
- UNROPE 8 pts
- UPTORE 8 pts
- UPTORN 8 pts
- RETORN 6 pts
- RETURN 6 pts
- ROUTER 6 pts
- TENOUR 6 pts
- TOURER 6 pts
- TURNER 6 pts
5-letter words
106 words- COYPU 12 pts
- CREPY 12 pts
- CRYPT 12 pts
- FERNY 11 pts
- FERRY 11 pts
- FORTY 11 pts
- FOYER 11 pts
- FRYER 11 pts
- FURRY 11 pts
- REFRY 11 pts
- TREYF 11 pts
- TURFY 11 pts
- CONEY 10 pts
- CORNY 10 pts
- COYER 10 pts
- CROFT 10 pts
- CRONY 10 pts
- CRUFT 10 pts
- CRYER 10 pts
- CURRY 10 pts
- CUTEY 10 pts
- CYTON 10 pts
- FORCE 10 pts
- PEONY 10 pts
- PERRY 10 pts
- PORNY 10 pts
- POUTY 10 pts
- PRYER 10 pts
- PUNTY 10 pts
- PURTY 10 pts
- ROPEY 10 pts
- ROUPY 10 pts
- TEPOY 10 pts
- UNCOY 10 pts
- YUPON 10 pts
- COPEN 9 pts
- COPER 9 pts
- COUPE 9 pts
- CREPT 9 pts
- CROUP 9 pts
- PONCE 9 pts
- ENTRY 8 pts
- FETOR 8 pts
- FORTE 8 pts
- FOUNT 8 pts
- FREON 8 pts
- FRONT 8 pts
- FRORE 8 pts
- FUROR 8 pts
- FUTON 8 pts
- OFTEN 8 pts
- OFTER 8 pts
- ONERY 8 pts
- RETRY 8 pts
- RUNTY 8 pts
- TERRY 8 pts
- TONEY 8 pts
- TOYER 8 pts
- TUYER 8 pts
- YOURN 8 pts
- CENTO 7 pts
- CENTU 7 pts
- CONTE 7 pts
- CORER 7 pts
- CORNU 7 pts
- COUNT 7 pts
- COURT 7 pts
- CRONE 7 pts
- CRORE 7 pts
- CRUET 7 pts
- CRUOR 7 pts
- CURER 7 pts
- CURET 7 pts
- CUTER 7 pts
- ERUCT 7 pts
- ERUPT 7 pts
- NETOP 7 pts
- ONCET 7 pts
- OUNCE 7 pts
- PRONE 7 pts
- PRUNE 7 pts
- PUNTO 7 pts
- PURER 7 pts
- PUTON 7 pts
- RECON 7 pts
- RECTO 7 pts
- RECUR 7 pts
- RECUT 7 pts
- REPOT 7 pts
- REPRO 7 pts
- ROPER 7 pts
- TOPER 7 pts
- TROPE 7 pts
- TRUCE 7 pts
- NOTER 5 pts
- OUTER 5 pts
- OUTRE 5 pts
- RERUN 5 pts
- RETRO 5 pts
- ROUEN 5 pts
- ROUTE 5 pts
- TENOR 5 pts
- TONER 5 pts
- TRONE 5 pts
- TRUER 5 pts
- TUNER 5 pts
4-letter words
9 wordsFind your best play with perfunctory
See every word you can make from a set of letters that includes perfunctory, or browse word lists you can mine for high-scoring plays.