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English
Pronunciation
Verb
go through the motions
- (idiomatic) To do something in a mechanical, unreflective manner, especially as a matter of routine and without commitment or enthusiasm; to perform a task perfunctorily.
1905, Mark Twain, chapter 3, in The $30,000 Bequest:Aleck was a Christian from the cradle, and duty and the force of habit required her to go through the motions.
1919, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 15, in Rainbow Valley:They went through the motions of living, but they didn't live.
- 2003 July 8, Jason Zweig and Benjamin Graham, "Get Rich Slowly: How to Pick a Financial Adviser," Time:
- In screening an adviser, these should be your goals:
- —To determine whether he or she cares about helping clients or just goes through the motions . . .
Translations
do something in a mechanical manner