The shallows are areas of water where the bottom is close to the surface. In a lake, the shallows are where you can wade safely with your feet touching the ground, while deeper water lies farther out. In the ocean, the shallows near the shore might only reach your knees, but a few hundred feet out, the seafloor drops away and the water becomes too deep to stand.

The shallows are often where you'll find the most activity. Small fish gather there because the sunlight reaches the bottom, helping plants grow. Wading birds hunt in the shallows. Children learn to swim there. Sailors have to watch for the shallows carefully because a ship's hull can scrape against the bottom or get stuck on a sandbar.

Writers sometimes use the word figuratively to suggest something lacking depth or substance. A book review might criticize someone for staying in the shallows of a complex topic instead of exploring it thoroughly. But used literally, the shallows are simply the parts of any body of water that are shallow rather than deep.