superficial
Americanadjective
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being at, on, or near the surface.
a superficial wound.
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of or relating to the surface.
superficial measurement.
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external or outward.
a superficial resemblance.
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concerned with or comprehending only what is on the surface or obvious.
a superficial observer.
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shallow; not profound or thorough.
a superficial writer.
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apparent rather than real.
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insubstantial or insignificant.
superficial improvements.
adjective
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of, relating to, being near, or forming the surface
superficial bruising
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displaying a lack of thoroughness or care
a superficial inspection
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only outwardly apparent rather than genuine or actual
the similarity was merely superficial
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of little substance or significance; trivial
superficial differences
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lacking originality or profundity
the film's plot was quite superficial
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(of measurements) involving only the surface area
Usage
What does superficial mean? Superficial describes something as being of or related to the surface, as a scratch on your arm would be a superficial wound. Superficial can describe something that is literally close to a surface, such as a small cut, or figuratively close to the surface. When you and your sibling have the same nose shape and same eye color but don’t otherwise look like each other, you superficially look like each other. The sameness doesn’t go very far. Example: This article is very superficial, barely sharing any details about the event.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of superficial
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English superfyciall, from Late Latin superficiālis, equivalent to Latin superfici(ēs) superficies + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Anything superficial has to do with the surface of something. If you're judging a book by its cover, you're being superficial. People who worry too much about their clothes and hair may also be considered superficial. The word superficial has to do with appearances and the surface. If a car is in an accident, but it only has a few scratches, you could say it has superficial damage, because the important parts are OK. If you just glance at a movie for a second, your opinion will be more superficial than the opinion of someone who watched the whole film closely. Superficial can have a negative flavor; calling someone superficial is saying that they are shallow and care too little about meaningful things.
Vocabulary lists containing superficial
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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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.
However, the researchers found that the impact of gray matter loss appeared to vary depending on the health of nearby superficial white matter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
"The findings point to superficial white matter as a possible source of resilience," said Leon Aksman, PhD, assistant professor of research neurology at the Stevens INI and senior author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
On a superficial level, his plays, built around the emotional lives of his characters, can come off as a throwback to traditional realism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The NHS says it can be difficult to recognise autism in women, but Dame Uta says: "I am sceptical of late diagnosis. That's where I think the diagnostic process has become very superficial."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
I understood too well what it was like to feel like you were defined by one superficial thing—to feel like you would never escape the box people had put you in.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
