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The Pillars of the Earth vocabulary
219 vocabulary words, including people, places, music, artists, etc.
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perfunctory
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► definition
Definition:1. performed as if routine; unthinking2. indifferent; unenthusiastic; apathetic
► uses
Uses:
The sexual act, although he performed it in a perfunctory way, must have been largely unconscious, for him, like scratching himself.
Margaret Atwood. The Handmaid's Tale (1986)
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It was her fifth glass of wine, which she finished now in a perfunctory fashion.
John Irving. A Widow for One Year, p.73 (1998)
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The officers grew uncomfortable. They searched the house perfunctorily [...].
Alice Sebold. The Lovely Bones, p.192 (2002)
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he was always wiping his counter with an exceedingly dirty towel,—or indeed anything that came handy. Miners, noticing this purely perfunctory habit, occasionally supplied him slily with articles inconsistent with their service,—fragments of their shirts and underclothing, flour sacking, tow,
Bret Harte. The Story of a Mine (1877)
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To Francesca, it seemed that Correale regarded the provenance research as largely perfunctory. His real enthusiasm lay in the scientific and technical aspects of the work.
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He patted my hand in a kindly but perfunctory fashion.
Diana Gabaldon. Outlander (1991)
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The lecture had been perfunctory enough that it took no great intellect to estimate their chances of survival if they did crash on a night like this. Ryan hated flying.
Tom Clancy. The Hunt for Red October, p.100 (1984)
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