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perfunctory act

[pərˈfʌŋktəri ækt]
nounpl: perfunctory acts
ato superficial; ato mecânico
1. An action performed routinely and with minimal effort or interest, lacking care or attention to detail
The manager's perfunctory act of greeting employees showed he had no genuine interest in their well-being.
O ato superficial do gerente ao cumprimentar os funcionários mostrou que ele não tinha interesse genuíno no bem-estar deles.
2. A duty or task completed merely for the sake of appearances or obligation, without sincere engagement
He gave a perfunctory act of apology that nobody believed.
Ele fez um ato mecânico de desculpa que ninguém acreditou.
NYC Slang
phony move; half-assed gesture
Synonyms
cursory actsuperficial actmechanical actroutine gesturehalf-hearted efforttoken gesture
Antonyms
sincere actgenuine effortheartfelt gesturediligent actionconscientious act

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ato superficial; gesto mecânico
Commonly used in formal and informal contexts
Portugal
acto superficial; gesto rotineiro
Uses 'acto' spelling in Portuguese European standard

Related Idioms & Phrases

go through the motions
for show
lip service
pay lip service to something
box-ticking exercise
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