skin-deep

[skin-deep]

adjective

1. superficial or slight; not profound or substantial.

   Their sincerity is only skin-deep.

adverb

1. slightly; superficially.

   He went into the subject only skin-deep.

skin-deep

adjective

1. superficial; shallow

adverb

1. superficially

Word History and Origins

Origin of skin-deep¹

First recorded in 1605–15

Idioms and Phrases

see beauty is only skin deep.