superficial
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
located on or near the surface of something, like a skin wound that is not deep.
pertaining to or situated on the surface; in medical contexts, it describes injuries or structures that do not penetrate deeply into the body.
Simple“The doctor said it was just a superficial scratch and wouldn't need stitches.”
In context“The forensic report indicated that the victim sustained several superficial lacerations, none of which had damaged the underlying muscle tissue.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
not thorough or deep; only looking at the most obvious parts of a problem or person.
lacking depth of character, intellect, or serious thought; often used to describe analysis that ignores underlying complexities.
Simple“He has a very superficial understanding of the city's history.”
In context“Critics argued that the documentary offered only a superficial treatment of a highly complex geopolitical crisis.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
seeming to be real or true only until you look at it more closely.
apparent rather than real; describing a quality that is evident on the surface but does not reflect the true nature of the subject.
Simple“There is a superficial similarity between the two paintings, but the techniques are different.”
In context“Despite a superficial resemblance to his predecessor's policies, the new minister's approach was actually rooted in a different economic philosophy.”
Antonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
describing a measurement of how much area something covers rather than its weight or length.
denoting a quantity of material expressed in terms of surface area rather than volume or linear dimension.
Simple“The builder calculated the superficial area of the walls to decide how much paint to buy.”
In context“The contract specified the cost of the timber in superficial feet, requiring a precise calculation of the total surface coverage for the flooring project.”
UsageCommonly used in construction and surveying to describe 'superficial feet' or 'superficial area'.
Synonymsarealsquare
“Roxane Anderson from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UNI) studied the land before and after the fire and says any damage to wet peatland was superficial and on the surface.”
Borrowing from Late Latin superficiālis (“of or belonging to the surface”), from superficiēs (“top, surface”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.