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SUPERFICIAL
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I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
Example:
In his paper, he showed a very superficial understanding of psychoanalytic theory
Synonyms:
casual; cursory; passing; perfunctory; superficial
Classified under:
Similar:
careless (marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Occurring on or near the surface of the skin
Example:
superficial facial injuries
Classified under:
Similar:
shallow (lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually
Example:
only superficial differences
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
apparent; ostensible; seeming (appearing as such but not necessarily so)
dilettante; dilettanteish; dilettantish; sciolistic (showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish)
facile; neat; slick (superficially impressive, but lacking depth and attention to the true complexities of a subject)
glib (marked by lack of intellectual depth)
looking; sounding (appearing to be as specified; usually used as combining forms)
shallow (lacking depth of intellect or knowledge; concerned only with what is obvious)
skin-deep (penetrating no deeper than the skin:)
Also:
careless (marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful)
outward (relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind)
frivolous (not serious in content or attitude or behavior)
Antonym:
profound (showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth)
Derivation:
superficiality (lack of depth of knowledge or thought or feeling)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Of little substance or significance
Example:
only trivial objections
Synonyms:
superficial; trivial
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
insignificant; unimportant (devoid of importance, meaning, or force)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
Example:
a superficial wound
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Pertainym:
surface (the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object)
Derivation:
superficiality (shallowness in terms of affecting only surface layers of something)
superficies (outer surface of an area or a body)
superficies (the purely external aspect of a thing; superficial appearance)
Context examples:
I tried to make it keep time with the story itself, which was only superficial after all.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
A superficial vein that is located on the cerebellum and that drains the cerebellum.
(Cerebellar Vein, NCI Thesaurus)
It was very superficial, my dear Watson, I assure you.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
It must have occurred before he received the knife-thrust, which made only a superficial wound.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
The first of these is often preceded by simple and papillary hyperplasia and exhibits a tumour morphology that is low-grade, superficial and papillary.
(Bladder Cancer Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)
Superficial resemblance of P. brasiliensis to Blastomyces brasiliensis (BLASTOMYCES) may cause misdiagnosis.
(Paracoccidioidomycosis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
I absolutely refuse to leave, however, until we have made at least a superficial examination of this country, and are able to take back with us something in the nature of a chart.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Solid, in place rock underlying unconsolidated sediments or other superficial material.
(Bedrock substrate, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)
Superficial lesions are always cured by simple excision; a wider margin of tissue should be obtained for deep, benign types.
(Benign Fibrous Histiocytoma, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
These well-demarcated growths, more common in women than men and sometimes hereditary, may indicate elevated cholesterol levels in the blood or the fatty degeneration of the superficial fibers of the orbicularis muscle.
(Eyelid Xanthoma, NCI Thesaurus)
