Literary notes about Cursory (AI summary)
The term "cursory" frequently appears in literature to depict actions performed with haste or minimal attention. Authors use it to characterize a glance, inspection, or reading that is brief and superficial, implying that the subject matter is only touched upon without deep engagement. For instance, a character might only offer a "cursory glance" when passing someone in a busy setting [1, 2], or a narrator might observe a structure or document with a sweep that signals both convenience and incompleteness [3, 4]. In more analytical contexts, cursory examinations serve to highlight limitations in inquiry or understanding, whether referring to historical texts [5] or scientific discussions [6]. This deliberate use of brevity enriches narrative tone or argumentation by subtly critiquing the lack of depth or attention.
- Chief Inspector Heat, crossing the shop at his busy, swinging pace, gave her only a cursory glance.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - He drew the book towards him and gave it a cursory glance.
— from Stavrogin's Confession and The Plan of The Life of a Great SinnerWith Introductory and Explanatory Notes by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - But a very cursory inspection of the two old houses convinced him that they were tenantless.
— from The Girl in the Mirror by Elizabeth Garver Jordan - A cursory inspection which I have made of two of those MSS.
— from The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo and da Pisa Rusticiano - (A cursory examination leads me to think that the annals of the sixth century must also be received with caution.)
— from The Religions of Japan, from the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by William Elliot Griffis - For the first of these purposes all that is generally required is a cursory notice of the case, as it is only used partially.
— from On War by Carl von Clausewitz
