superficial

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su·per·fi·cial

(so͞o′pər-fĭsh′əl)

adj.

1. Of, affecting, or being on or near the surface: a superficial wound.

2. Concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; shallow: wrote him off as superficial.

3. Apparent rather than actual or substantial: a superficial resemblance between the two films.

4. Not extensive or important; minor or insignificant: made only a few superficial changes in the manuscript.

[Middle English, from Old French superficiel, from Latin superficiālis, from superficiēs, surface; see superficies.]

su′per·fi′ci·al′i·ty (-fĭsh′ē-ăl′ĭ-tē), su′per·fi′cial·ness (-fĭsh′əl-nĭs) n.

su′per·fi′cial·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

superficial

(ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃəl)

adj

1. of, relating to, being near, or forming the surface: superficial bruising.

2. displaying a lack of thoroughness or care: a superficial inspection.

3. only outwardly apparent rather than genuine or actual: the similarity was merely superficial.

4. of little substance or significance; trivial: superficial differences.

5. lacking originality or profundity: the film's plot was quite superficial.

6. (Mathematics) (of measurements) involving only the surface area

[C14: from Late Latin superficiālis of the surface, from Latin superficies]

superficiality, ˌsuperˈficialness n

ˌsuperˈficially adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

su•per•fi•cial

(ˌsu pərˈfɪʃ əl)

adj.

1. being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound.

2. external or outward; apparent rather than real: a superficial resemblance.

3. concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious.

4. shallow; not profound or thorough.

5. insubstantial or insignificant.

6. of or pertaining to the surface: superficial measurement.

[1375–1425; late Middle English superfyciall < Late Latin superficiālis= Latin superfici(ēs) superficies + -ālis -al¹]

su`per•fi`ci•al′i•ty (-iˈæl ɪ ti) su`per•fi′cial•ness, n.

su`per•fi′cial•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	superficial - concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually; "superficial similarities"; "a superficial mind"; "his thinking was superficial and fuzzy"; "superficial knowledge"; "the superficial report didn't give the true picture"; "only superficial differences" careless - marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful; "careless about her clothes"; "forgotten by some careless person"; "a careless housekeeper"; "careless proofreading"; "it was a careless mistake"; "hurt by a careless remark" outward - relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind; "a concern with outward beauty rather than with inward reflections" frivolous - not serious in content or attitude or behavior; "a frivolous novel"; "a frivolous remark"; "a frivolous young woman" profound - showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth; "the differences are profound"; "a profound insight"; "a profound book"; "a profound mind"; "profound contempt"; "profound regret"
	2.	superficial - of, affecting, or being on or near the surface; "superficial measurements"; "the superficial area of the wall"; "a superficial wound"
	3.	superficial - of little substance or significance; "a few superficial editorial changes"; "only trivial objections" trivial unimportant, insignificant - devoid of importance, meaning, or force

superficial

adjective

1. shallow, frivolous, empty-headed, empty, silly, lightweight, trivial a superficial yuppie with no intellect whatsoever
shallow serious, earnest

2. hasty, cursory, perfunctory, passing, nodding, hurried, casual, sketchy, facile, desultory, slapdash, inattentive He only gave it a superficial glance through.
hasty detailed, comprehensive, thorough, major, complete, substantial, probing, penetrating, in depth, exhaustive

3. slight, surface, external, cosmetic, on the surface, exterior, peripheral, skin-deep It may well look different but the changes are only superficial.
slight deep, profound

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

superficial

adjective

1. Lacking in intellectual depth or thoroughness:

cursory, one-dimensional, shallow, sketchy, skin-deep, uncritical.

2. Appearing as such but not necessarily so:

apparent, external, ostensible, ostensive, outward, seeming.

Translations

سَطْحِيسَطْحي، على السَّطْحسَطْحي، غَيْر عَميق

povrchnípovrchový

overfladisk

oberflächlich kursorisch

επιφανειακός

superficial

pinnallinen

superficiel

površan

felületi

yfirborîs-

superficiale

表面的な

피상적인

paviršinis

paviršsvirspusējs

oppervlakkig

overflate-overflatisk

powierzchowny

superficial

поверхностный беглый внешний

povrchový

površenpovršinski

ytlig

ผิวเผิน ไม่ลึกซึ้ง ไม่สำคัญ

yapay yarım yamalak yüzeysel

hời hợt

表面的肤浅的

superficial

[ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃəl] ADJ

1. (= not deep) → superficial
she was treated for superficial cuts and bruises → le curaron algunos cortes superficiales y moratones
most of the buildings had sustained only superficial damage → la mayoría de los edificios sólo habían sufrido daños superficiales
I suddenly realized how superficial she was → de repente me di cuenta de lo superficial que era

2. (in measurements) [area] → de superficie

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

superficial

[ˌsuːpə^rˈfɪʃ^əl] adj

(= shallow) [person, mind] → superficiel(le)

(not in-depth) [analysis, knowledge, understanding] → superficiel(le)

(= apparent) [differences, changes, similarities] → superficiel(le)

(= not serious) [wound, injury, cut, burn] → superficiel(le)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

superficial

adj person, behaviour, injury, treatment, knowledge → oberflächlich; characteristics, resemblance → äußerlich

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

superficial

[ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃ/əl] adj → superficiale

superficial

(suːpəˈfiʃəl) adjective

1. on, or affecting, the surface only. The wound is only superficial.

2. not thorough. He has only a superficial knowledge of the subject.

ˈsuperˌficiˈality (-ʃiˈӕ-) noun

ˌsuperˈficially adverb

superficial

→ سَطْحِي povrchní overfladisk oberflächlich επιφανειακός superficial pinnallinen superficiel površan superficiale 表面的な 피상적인 oppervlakkig overflatisk powierzchowny superficial поверхностный ytlig ผิวเผิน ไม่ลึกซึ้ง ไม่สำคัญ yapay hời hợt 表面的

su·per·fi·cial

a. superficial, rel. a la superficie;

adv. superficialmente.

superficial

adj superficial

References in classic literature ?

Sport has, in my opinion, a great value, and as is always the case, we see nothing but what is most superficial."

View in context

I do not mean, therefore, that Frederica's acquirements should be more than superficial, and I flatter myself that she will not remain long enough at school to understand anything thoroughly.

View in context

A strange thing, that that part of an orator, which is but superficial, and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed so high, above those other noble parts, of invention, elocution, and the rest; nay, almost alone, as if it were all in all.

View in context

It is but a superficial mode of examining into this question to begin with the place and the people; for it may happen that these may be divided from that, or that some one of them may live in one place, and some in another (but this question may be regarded as no very knotty one; for, as a city may acquire that appellation on many accounts, it may be solved many ways); and in like manner, when men inhabit one common place, when shall we say that they inhabit the same city, or that the city is the same?

View in context

I became weary of the poets, of the old and of the new: superficial are they all unto me, and shallow seas.

View in context

Likewise, by way of preliminary, I desire to remind the reader, that while in the earlier geological strata there are found the fossils of monsters now almost completely extinct; the subsequent relics discovered in what are called the Tertiary formations seem the connecting, or at any rate intercepted links, between the antichronical creatures, and those whose remote posterity are said to have entered the Ark; all the Fossil Whales hitherto discovered belong to the Tertiary period, which is the last preceding the superficial formations.

View in context

What you call Solid things are really superficial; what you call Space is really nothing but a great Plane.

View in context

But, beautiful as it was, I could only take a rapid glance at the basin whose superficial area is two million of square yards.

View in context

The head of the family, Count Ilya Rostov, continually drove about the city collecting the current rumors from all sides and gave superficial and hasty orders at home about the preparations for their departure.

View in context

Beneath these superficial inconsistencies, the great heart, the essentially true and generous nature of the woman, only waited the sufficient occasion to assert themselves.

View in context

There is no other art in which the conditions of success are so easy of attainment; there is no other art in the practice of which so much that is purely superficial passes itself off habitually for something that claims to be profound.

View in context

Nor are instances of this kind so rare as some superficial and inaccurate observers have reported.