Go Through The Motions

Pronunciation: /ɡoʊ θruː ðə ˈmoʊʃənz/

Definitions of go through the motions

verb to perform a task or activity without real interest or effort; to go through the motions

Example Sentences

A1 I go through the motions of brushing my teeth every morning.

A2 She just goes through the motions at work, not putting in any real effort.

B1 After the breakup, he was just going through the motions of living, not really feeling anything.

B2 The actor seemed to be going through the motions during the performance, lacking passion.

C1 Despite her success, she sometimes feels like she's just going through the motions in her career.

C2 He realized he had been going through the motions in his relationship, and decided to make a change.

Examples of go through the motions in a Sentence

formal The employees seemed to just go through the motions during the meeting.

informal I don't feel like doing anything today, I'll just go through the motions.

slang I could tell he was just going through the motions at practice.

figurative After the loss, she felt like she was just going through the motions of life.

Grammatical Forms of go through the motions

• past tense: went
• plural: go through the motions
• comparative: more going through the motions
• superlative: most going through the motions
• present tense: goes through the motions
• future tense: will go through the motions
• perfect tense: has gone through the motions
• continuous tense: is going through the motions
• singular: goes through the motions
• positive degree: go through the motions
• infinitive: to go through the motions
• gerund: going through the motions
• participle: gone through the motions

Origin and Evolution of go through the motions

First Known Use: 1700 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'go through the motions' likely originated from the world of theater, where actors perform their roles mechanically without genuine emotion or effort.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to describe actors going through the physical movements of a performance without feeling, the phrase has evolved to mean performing a task without genuine interest or enthusiasm.