superficial
superficial — adjective
1. used to describe someone who cares only about obvious or unimportant things — su
used to describe someone who cares only about obvious or unimportant things — such as appearance, status, or money — and does not think deeply about emotions, ideas, or what truly matters in life.
Gita found the dating scene frustrating because many people seemed superficial and only cared about looks.
superficial describing a person's character
The film critic called the movie superficial, saying it had no real message or emotional depth.
Takeshi regretted his superficial comment about the painting once the artist explained its deeper meaning.
A truly superficial person judges others entirely by their clothes and never asks about their dreams.
- shallow
more common in everyday speech; slightly stronger negative tone
- frivolous
focuses on not being serious rather than lacking depth
- empty-headed
informal; suggests lack of intelligence rather than lack of depth
文法句型
superficial + noun (person)
用法筆記
Frequently carries a negative judgment about someone's character. Often interchangeable with 'shallow,' though 'superficial' can sound slightly more formal or analytical.
常見錯誤
2. done or understood with attention only to what is simple to notice, while skippi
done or understood with attention only to what is simple to notice, while skipping the more complex or hidden parts of a subject or task.
The mechanic gave the car only a superficial check and missed the engine problem entirely.
superficial + check / examination
Rania admitted that her knowledge of Korean history was still superficial after just one semester.
After a superficial reading of the contract, Tomás signed it without noticing the hidden fees.
The newspaper article gave only a superficial summary of the climate report and left out the key findings.
文法句型
superficial + noun (analysis, knowledge, examination)
用法筆記
Commonly modifies nouns related to study, inspection, or reporting: 'analysis,' 'examination,' 'knowledge,' 'reading,' 'understanding,' 'summary.' The implication is always that more depth was needed.
常見錯誤
3. appearing to be genuine, significant, or important at first glance, but lacking
appearing to be genuine, significant, or important at first glance, but lacking real substance or truth when examined more closely.
The company's concern for the environment turned out to be superficial — they made no real changes to their operations.
superficial describing a claim or concern that lacks substance
Henrik and Inês had only a superficial friendship based on office chats, not on real trust or shared values.
The similarities between the two marketing plans were superficial; the details and goals were completely different.
Ignacio worried that the peace agreement was superficial and would not last once the army pulled out.
- genuine
truly real or authentic
- substantial
significant in amount or degree; having real weight or importance
- real
actually existing or true, not just appearing to be
文法句型
superficial + noun (similarity, change, friendship)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (literal surface): sense 3 applies to abstract things such as differences, relationships, changes, or agreements that appear real but are not. Sense 4 applies to physical surfaces only.
常見錯誤
4. found on or limited to the outermost side of a physical object, body part, or ma
found on or limited to the outermost side of a physical object, body part, or material, without reaching the interior or deeper layers beneath.
The wound was only superficial and healed within a few days without any special treatment.
superficial + wound / injury / cut
Otis applied a superficial layer of varnish to the wooden table, just enough to make it shine.
The earthquake caused only superficial damage to the building, with some cracks on the outer walls.
The doctor examined the burn and confirmed it was superficial, affecting only the top layer of skin.
- surface-level
less formal; used for both physical and metaphorical surfaces
- outer
simply describes position on the outside without implying lack of depth
文法句型
superficial + noun (wound, damage, layer)
用法筆記
This is the only sense with a literal, physical meaning. In medical contexts, 'superficial' describes injuries that affect only the outer layer of skin (epidermis), such as superficial cuts, burns, or abrasions.