His essay gave only a superficial analysis of the problem, so it was a real surprise to him when he got the highest grade in the class.
Source: tatoeba (1952)
Superficial
/ˌsuː.pəˈfɪʃ.əl/
Synonyms for "superficial" (351 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (71)
Adjective(19 words)
Noun(4 words)
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (105)
epidermicetiolatedexomorphicexpeditiousexteriorexternalextrinsicfacilefadefatuousfeatherbrainedfestinatefeverishfewflashyflatflatulentflightyflimsyflippant
Show 61 more words
fluffyflyingfoolishfootlingformalformalistformalisticformularyfourth-dimensionalfribblefribblingfringefrivolousfrothyfuriousfutilegeneralglibhalf assedhalf bakedhalf cockedhalf-assedhalf-bakedhalf-cockedhastyheavyho humho-humhollowhurriedidleimmatureimmediateimpersonalinaneinconsequentialinconsiderableindiscriminateinexcitableinsignificantinsipidinstantinsubstantialjejuneknee deepknee-deeplast minutelast-minuteleadenlegalisticlifelesslightlittlelowlow spiritedlow-spiritedmeagermeaninglessminiaturenegligibleno great shakes
Adjective(18 words)
externalfacilefeeble attemptflightierflimsiestfluffierfluffiestfragmentaryfrothierfrothiestglib remarkglibbesthollow feelingincomplete patient recordlackadaisicallazy studentlightheartedminor surface scratch
Noun(6 words)
Related words (175)
noddingnominalnot deepnugaciousnugatoryoffhandon the spoton the surfaceopenostensibleotioseoutouteroutermostoutlyingoutmostoutsideoutstandingoutwardoutward-facing
Show 88 more words
palepallidpassingpedanticpedestrianperfunctoryperipheralpettypicayunepicayunishploddingpointlesspokyponderouspretentiouspromptproportionalpublicquickroundaboutsciolisticseemingshallowshallow-headedshallow-mindedshallow-patedshallow-rootedshallow-wittedshoalshortsillysketchyskin deepskin-deepslap-bangslapdashslenderslickslightslowsmallsmatteringsnapsolemnsophomoricspacespace timespace-timespatialspatiotemporalspeciousspeedysphericalspiritlessstereoscopicsterilestiffstodgystuffystylizedsurfaceswifttastelesstediousthinthree dimensionalthree-dimensionaltinytokentopicaltriflingtritetrivialtwo-dimensionaluncriticalunimportantunlivelyunprofoundurgentvacuityvacuousvainvapidvisiblevolatilevolumetricwindywooden
Adjective(45 words)
nonrigorousnonthinkingoffhandouterouter crustouter shelloutward shapepaperypassingperfunctoryphonyquick appraisalscantestshallowshallow analysisshallow personshallowershallowestshinysimplistic
Show 25 more words
sketchiersketchiestsketchysketchy descriptionskimpyspiffysurface layersurface levelsurface scratchsurface thinkersurface-levelsurface-level detailssurfacial tissuesurficialthin coatthin layerthoughtlesstinniertokenishtrivialtwo dimensional imageunobservantupper layervisible stateweak explanation
Noun(19 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
8 entriescosmetic praisecursory checkfacade rhetoricfashion snobglancing lookouter layersocial climbersurface feature
Collocations
7 entriessuperficial appearancesuperficial charmsuperficial glancesuperficial knowledgesuperficial layersuperficial treatmentsuperficial wound
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
20 entriesShowing 16 of 20 words.
Translations
31 translations across 24 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἐπιπόλαιος adj (existing or located on the surface)
Arabic
1 entries- سَطْحِيّ adj (existing or located on the surface)
Bulgarian
1 entries- повърхностен adj (existing or located on the surface)
Catalan
1 entries- superficial adj (existing or located on the surface)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 表面的 adj (existing or located on the surface)
Finnish
4 entries- pinnallinen adj (existing or located on the surface)
- pinnallinen adj (not thorough, concerned with the obvious or apparent)
- pinta- adj (existing or located on the surface)
- pintapuolinen adj (not thorough, concerned with the obvious or apparent)
Georgian
1 entries- ზედაპირული adj (existing or located on the surface)
German
1 entries- oberflächlich adj (existing or located on the surface)
Greek
2 entries- επιφανειακός adj (existing or located on the surface)
- επιφανειακός adj (not thorough, concerned with the obvious or apparent)
Hebrew
1 entries- שִׁטְחִי adj (existing or located on the surface)
Hindi
1 entries- सतही adj (existing or located on the surface)
Hungarian
2 entries- felszíni adj (existing or located on the surface)
- felületi adj (existing or located on the surface)
Italian
1 entries- superficiale adj (existing or located on the surface)
Latin
1 entries- superficiālis adj (existing or located on the surface)
Lithuanian
3 entries- paviršinis adj (existing or located on the surface)
- paviršutiniškas adj (not thorough, concerned with the obvious or apparent)
- preliminarus adj (not thorough, concerned with the obvious or apparent)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- overfladisk adj (existing or located on the surface)
Polish
1 entries- powierzchniowy adj (existing or located on the surface)
Portuguese
1 entries- superficial adj (existing or located on the surface)
Russian
1 entries- пове́рхностный adj (existing or located on the surface)
Spanish
1 entries- superficial adj (existing or located on the surface)
Turkish
1 entries- yüzeysel adj (existing or located on the surface)
Ukrainian
1 entries- поверхне́вий adj (existing or located on the surface)
Yiddish
1 entries- אויבנאויפֿיק adj (existing or located on the surface)
Zazaki
1 entries- sereyran adj (existing or located on the surface)
Sample sentences
17 total sentences available.
A perfect knowledge of a few writers and a few subjects is more valuable than a superficial one of a great many.
Source: tatoeba (267913)
He has only a superficial knowledge of the subject.
Source: tatoeba (290474)
He has only a superficial knowledge of the matter.
Source: tatoeba (290930)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.