You’ve probably heard it. That one word that sounds like it should be an insult but actually just means you didn't try very hard. Cursory. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a shrug.
Words have vibes. "Quick" is fast. "Brief" is professional. "Cursory" is… well, it’s usually a bit of a letdown. If your boss gives your report a cursory glance, you probably aren't getting that promotion tomorrow. Understanding how to use cursory in a sentence isn't just about passing a vocab test. It’s about nailing the nuance of human laziness and haste.
Why People Get Cursory Wrong
Most people think it just means fast. It doesn't. Or rather, that's only half the story.
Speed is part of it, sure. But the soul of the word lies in the lack of depth. It comes from the Latin currere, meaning "to run." Think of it like running past a storefront. You saw the sign. You saw the mannequins. But did you see the price tags? No. You were moving too fast to care.
The Nuance of Neglect
When you use cursory in a sentence, you’re often implying that more attention should have been paid. It carries a faint scent of criticism.
"The detective gave the crime scene a cursory inspection."
Read that again. You immediately know the detective is either incompetent or in a massive rush. He missed something. We know he missed something because the writer chose "cursory" instead of "efficient" or "rapid." Words are tools, and this one is a scalpel for cutting into someone’s effort level.
Real Examples of Cursory in a Sentence
Let’s look at how this actually lands in the wild. I’m not talking about dictionary definitions. I’m talking about how real people, from novelists to journalists, use it to set a mood.
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- "Despite the gravity of the accusations, the committee conducted only a cursory review of the evidence before dismissing the case."
- "I took a cursory look at the map, figured I knew the way, and ended up twenty miles north of where I needed to be."
- "She gave the room a cursory sweep with her eyes, looking for a familiar face, but saw only strangers."
See the pattern?
It’s almost always about an action that feels incomplete. You’ll find it popping up in legal documents too. Lawyers love this word. They’ll argue that a "cursory investigation" violated someone’s rights. It's a high-stakes word wrapped in a low-effort meaning.
Cursory vs. Desultory: Don't Swap Them
This is where things get messy.
People love to use "desultory" when they mean "cursory." They aren't the same. Honestly, it’s a common mistake that makes editors twitch. Cursory is about speed and lack of detail. Desultory is about a lack of plan or purpose.
If you're jumping from task to task because you're bored, you're being desultory. If you're scanning a 50-page contract in thirty seconds, you're being cursory.
One is aimless. The other is just hurried.
Synonyms That Actually Work
If you find yourself repeating cursory in a sentence too often, you need to pivot. But choose wisely.
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- Perfunctory: This is the closest cousin. It means doing something as a routine duty, without interest. It’s mechanical.
- Slapdash: This is more aggressive. It implies the work was done carelessly and poorly.
- Superficial: This hits the "lack of depth" angle perfectly. It’s skin-deep.
The Psychology of the Cursory Glance
Why do we do it?
Cognitive load is a real thing. We live in a world of "Too Long; Didn't Read." Our brains are wired to perform cursory scans of almost everything we encounter. According to researchers at the Nielsen Norman Group, most users only read about 20% to 28% of the words on a page.
We are living a cursory lifestyle.
When you're writing, you have to fight this. If you know your reader is only going to give your work a cursory read, you put the important stuff in bold. You use headers. You make it impossible for them to miss the point, even if they're "running" through your text.
How to Master the Word in Your Writing
If you want to sound like a natural, stop trying so hard.
Expert writers don't "utilize" words. They use them. Don't force "cursory" into a sentence where "quick" works better. Save it for when you want to highlight that someone didn't look closely enough.
Bad usage: "I had a cursory breakfast of toast and coffee."
(Nobody says this. It’s weird. Just say you had a quick breakfast.)
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Good usage: "The doctor’s cursory examination failed to catch the underlying infection."
(This works because there’s a consequence to the speed.)
Practical Contexts
Think about your daily life. You perform cursory checks all the time.
Did you lock the door? You do a cursory check of your pockets for your keys. Did you leave the oven on? You give the kitchen a cursory glance before heading out. It’s a functional, everyday part of being a human who is perpetually five minutes late for something.
Actionable Steps for Better Vocabulary
Don't just learn the word and forget it. Start looking for it.
- Audit your emails. Look for places where you said you "checked" something. Could you be more specific? Did you give it a "cursory review" or a "deep dive"? Precision matters.
- Read the news. Notice how journalists use the word to describe government actions or corporate apologies. It’s usually a tell-all for their bias.
- Practice the "Negative Context." Try writing three sentences where "cursory" implies a mistake was made. It helps cement the negative connotation the word often carries.
- Vary your sentence length. When explaining complex words, mix short, punchy sentences with longer, explanatory ones. It keeps the reader from falling into—you guessed it—a cursory reading pattern.
Mastering a word like cursory isn't about showing off. It’s about having the right tool for the job. Use it when the speed is the problem. Use it when the lack of depth is the story. Just don't use it to describe your breakfast.
Next Steps for Mastery
Start by identifying one task today that you usually rush through. Describe it using the word cursory in a private note or journal entry. Focus on what you missed during that hurried moment. This helps bridge the gap between "knowing" a word and "owning" it. Once you've done that, try replacing "quick" with "perfunctory" or "cursory" in your next draft to see if it changes the emotional weight of the sentence.