skin-deep
adjective
superficial or slight; not profound or substantial.
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skin-deep
American
[skin-deep]
/ ˈskɪnˈdip /
adjective
adverb
skin-deep
British
adjective
adverb
skin deep
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of skin-deep
First recorded in 1605–15
Explanation
Anything that's skin-deep is shallow or superficial. Your skin-deep commitment to saving the environment isn't terribly serious. You may have heard the saying "beauty is only skin-deep," which means that while someone may be beautiful on the outside, their character—what's inside, and more meaningful—isn't necessarily attractive. The first attested use of skin-deep was in "A Wife," a 1613 poem by Sir Thomas Overbury: "All the carnall beauty of my wife, Is but skin-deep." Its publication infamously resulted in Overbury's murder when its subject deduced that it was about her.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Dawn is as skin-deep as it gets, a character with no discernible motives and a frustrating absence of realism in a film that’s desperately aiming for authenticity.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2025
But the most spirited discussions at Cannes are over whether the movie is trenchant or skin-deep.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2024
Studies exploring skin-deep resilience have found evidence of a health toll in outwardly resilient young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds, including higher risk of inflammation, immune cell aging, metabolic disorders, and chronic disease.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 4, 2024
Solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine has reminded us all what is possible when empathy is really felt, but it will be bittersweet if our solidarity is really just skin-deep.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2022
They were also forced to live with skin-deep guilt brought on by the treatment of their former Nisei schoolmates.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
But despite their prevalence, tattoos run more than just skin deep.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2024
These filaments also had earthly analogs, and Siegelman used Juno's detailed imagery to study whether this similarity to our planet's oceanic and atmospheric processes was merely skin deep.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2024
This means the court majority’s modesty is only skin deep.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2024
To feel better, healthier and more connected, skin deep is a good place to start.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 9, 2023
The belated nature of this reflection shows that Ellen’s teachings had never gone more than skin deep and that there was still something lacking in Mrs. Putnam’s grasp on the realities of contemporary life.
From Short Stories of the New America Interpreting the America of this age to high school boys and girls by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
