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Glite Dictionary
to slur over

to slur over

7.9
To deal with a subject quickly and without enough detail
  • phrasal verb
  • /slɜr ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : pasar por alto
  • The teacher decided to slur over some details in her lecture to save time.

Examples

  • During the presentation, she slurred over the complex data, making it hard for the audience to understand.

  • He tended to slur over the important points in discussions, focusing instead on trivial matters.

  • The connection is hinted at in Lincoln's reported complaint to Carpenter that Claudius's speech in performance is very apt to be slurred over by the actor or omitted altogether.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

to brush off
vsto slur over
  • Informal
22 3.9

To ignore what someone says or feels as unimportant

applies to hasty superficial treatment of matters rather than mere ignoring
to gloss over
vsto slur over
22 6.5

Make a problem or mistake seem less serious by leaving out details

focuses on superficial haste and lack of proper examination
to smooth over
vsto slur over
18 4.9

Make a problem or argument seem less serious without fixing it

is about hasty superficial treatment rather than smoothing relations
to pass off
vsto slur over
2 4.1

To treat criticism or an insult as not important

involves superficial handling and haste rather than only dismissal
to skate over
vsto slur over
  • Informal
1 6.9

Handle a problem quickly without looking at the details

is likewise hasty but stresses avoiding proper thorough attention
to skimp over
vsto slur over
7.5

To deal with something quickly and not in enough detail

avoids proper attention by treating things superficially and hastily

Antonyms

to examine
868 2.5

To look at something carefully to find facts or problems

How Thorough

to examine
868 2.5
to review
  • Literature
252 2.9
to slur over
7.9
to ignore
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

slur over infinitive
slurred over past
slurred over past participle
slurring over present participle
slurs over third person singular

Morphology

slur + over

The verb 'slur' literally means to run words together or make speech unclear, and 'over' suggests covering or doing something across; the combined sense is a metaphorical extension of blurring or glossing details. Because the meaning 'treat something superficially' requires that metaphorical shift (not a straightforward compositional reading), a B1 learner who only knows the parts would likely only partially predict the sense without prior exposure.

Etymology

Slur over may come from the image of the verb slur and the preposition over: imagine dragging a hand over a page and smearing the words so they become unclear. That's why slur over means 'to treat something quickly and without detail'.