1
as in surface
lying on or affecting only the outer layer of something
a superficial scratch that barely even broke the skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shallow
having or showing a lack of depth of understanding or character
a superficial analysis of how the violence in video games affects young people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of superficial
But a focus on just its components is too superficial and narrow a perspective.
—
Gary Roughead, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
With Marshall Curry‘s The New Yorker at 100, a magazine famous for its erudition and curation receives a polished, amusing and generally superficial Reader’s Digest summary of a documentary.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Romantic affairs are less superficial and more about making memories that bring you personal fulfillment.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Gaming laptops tend to adhere to a pretty specific design aesthetic, with thick chassis designs, large ventilation grilles, and a handful of superficial features for visual interest.
—Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superficial
Gary Roughead, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
With Marshall Curry‘s The New Yorker at 100, a magazine famous for its erudition and curation receives a polished, amusing and generally superficial Reader’s Digest summary of a documentary.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Romantic affairs are less superficial and more about making memories that bring you personal fulfillment.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Gaming laptops tend to adhere to a pretty specific design aesthetic, with thick chassis designs, large ventilation grilles, and a handful of superficial features for visual interest.
—Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superficial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for superficial
Adjective
-
However, they were limited to single steps to tackle multi-surface flooring and not intended for use on stairs.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
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And that the smooth surface could harbor either a thick ice crust and thin ocean, or a thin ice crust and a thick ocean, with either possibility admitting the existence of sub-surface hydrothermal vents.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These mums feature small flowers that grow in a dome shape and have stolons, or shallow runners, at their base.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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O’Steen bludgeoned Marissa Grimes, dug a shallow grave for her under his house in west Fort Worth and for 10 days lived above where police later sawed open the floor to expose Grimes’ decomposing 135-pound body, prosecutors have argued that the evidence shows.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Superficial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superficial. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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