go through the motions

go through the motions
go through the motions
Fig. to make a feeble effort to do something; to do something insincerely or in cursory fashion. •

Jane isn't doing her best. She's just going through the motions.

Bill was supposed to be raking the yard, but he was just going through the motions.

* * *
{v. phr.} To pretend to do something by moving or acting as if you were really doing it; do something without really trying hard or caring. * /Jane was angry because she couldn't go out, and when her mother said to dust her room she just went through the motions./ * /The team was so far behind in the game that they just went through the motions of playing at the end./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • through the motions — See: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • through the motions — See: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • through\ the\ motions — See: go through the motions …   Словарь американских идиом

  • Going Through the Motions — may refer to: * Goin Through the Motions , a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 1977 album Spectres * Going Through the Motions , a 1979 album by Hot Chocolate * Going Through the Motions , a 1982 novel by Katherine Govier * Going Through the… …   Wikipedia

  • go through the motions — verb pretend to do something by acting as if one was really doing it She isn t really working she s just going through the motions • Hypernyms: ↑make, ↑pretend, ↑make believe • Verb Frames: Somebody s * * * go through the motions …   Useful english dictionary

  • go through the motions — {v. phr.} To pretend to do something by moving or acting as if you were really doing it; do something without really trying hard or caring. * /Jane was angry because she couldn t go out, and when her mother said to dust her room she just went… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • go\ through\ the\ motions — v. phr. To pretend to do something by moving or acting as if you were really doing it; do something without really trying hard or caring. Jane was angry because she couldn t go out, and when her mother said to dust her room she just went through… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • go through the motions — When you go through the motions, you do something like an everyday routine and without any feelings whatsoever …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • go through the motions — to do things in the usual way but without much effort or enthusiasm because you do not expect to succeed The leaders are going through the motions of peace talks …   English dictionary

  • go through the motions — to do something because you are expected to do it and not because you want to. These days when we go out, cook a meal together or even make love, I get the feeling that he s just going through the motions. (often in continuous tenses) …   New idioms dictionary

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