- do things carelessly; attend to a matter negligently -- without due care; be half-hearted about one's work; be slipshod in work; do sth. in a perfunctory manner; finish a job carelessly; give a lick and a promise; gloss things over; go through the motions (of); make a muddle of one's work; muddle through one's work; muddle with one's work; negligently finish up a matter; play at; shuffle through one's work; skimp through one's work so as to be done with it; work perfunctorily: