Idiom · C2 · Informal · usually disapproving
go through the motions
Do something mechanically, without real interest, care, or emotional involvement.
odrađivati nešto reda radi; raditi nešto mehanički
Memory scene
A wind-up worker repeats the same tiny routine on an empty stage. The actions continue; the person has mentally left.
How it sounds
goh throo thuh MOH-shuhnz
The meaning lands on motions; through stays light.
Build the sentence
go through the motions of + noun or -ing
Use it
After the merger was announced, he attended every meeting but was clearly just going through the motions.
The routine continues, but his commitment has gone.
I was so exhausted that I went through the motions of my morning routine without remembering any of it.
Mechanical action rather than deliberate attention.
Watch out
It does not simply mean following a process. It suggests that the process is empty because effort, belief, or feeling is missing.
Nearby language
The closest neutral paraphrase.
More informal and stronger: make very little effort.
Formal and compact, but uncommon in conversation.
Make it yours
Pred kraj dugog projekta, Marko i dalje dolazi na sastanke, ali više ne obraća pažnju.