Another word for superficial
a-z
Adjective
Lacking in intellectual depth or thoroughness
- Not critical; undiscriminating or indulgent.
- Not using critical standards or methods, as in evaluation.
- Superficial; shallow:
- In a shallow manner; superficially.
- Resembling a sketch; drawn with little detail:
- Missing important points or lacking in detail; not thorough:
- Of questionable authenticity or trustworthiness:
- Measuring little from bottom to top or surface; lacking physical depth.
- Lacking depth of intellect, emotion, or knowledge:
- Marked by insufficient inhalation of air; weak:
- Having or existing in one dimension only.
- Lacking depth; superficial.
- Performed with haste and scant attention to detail:
See also:Appearing as such but not necessarily so
- Apparent; ostensible.
- Outward appearance; semblance.
- Of, located on, or moving toward the outside or exterior; outer.
- Relating to the physical self:
- Purely external; superficial:
- Seeming or professed; ostensible.
- Represented or appearing as such; ostensive:
- Relating to, existing on, or connected with the outside or an outer part; exterior.
- Suitable for application to the outside:
- Existing independently of the mind.
- Readily seen; visible:
- Readily understood; clear or obvious:
- Appearing as such but not necessarily so; seeming:
See also:
© Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Another word for superficial
Modifier
-
- Not enlightened; ignorant in general or of some particular fact.
- Outer; external:
- Originating or acting from the outside:
- Suitable for use outside:
- Relating to, existing on, or connected with the outside or an outer part; exterior.
- Suitable for application to the outside:
- Existing independently of the mind.
- Of, located on, or moving toward the outside or exterior; outer.
- Relating to the physical self:
- Purely external; superficial:
- Superficial; shallow:
- In a shallow manner; superficially.
- A preparation, such as powder or a skin cream, designed to beautify the body by direct application.
- Something superficial that is used to cover a deficiency or defect.
- Serving to beautify the body, especially the face and hair.
- The outer or the topmost boundary of an object.
- A material layer constituting such a boundary.
- The boundary of a three-dimensional figure.
- Of, relating to, being, or affecting only a part; not total; incomplete:
- Favoring one person or side over another or others; biased or prejudiced:
- Having a particular liking or fondness for something or someone:
- Simple past tense and past participle of prejudice.
- Having prejudices.
- Lacking tolerance, breadth of view, or sympathy; petty.
- Lacking education or knowledge.
- Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge:
- Unaware or uninformed:
- Having poor vision; nearly or partly blind.
- Slow in understanding or discernment; dull:
- Completely blind.
- Nearsighted; myopic; unable to focus on distant objects.
- (figuratively) Unable to see long-term objectives; lacking foresight.
- A brief statement mentioning the main points of something:
- Presenting the substance in a condensed form; concise:
- Performed speedily and without ceremony:
- Measuring little from bottom to top or surface; lacking physical depth.
- Lacking depth of intellect, emotion, or knowledge:
- Marked by insufficient inhalation of air; weak:
- Moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected:
- Occurring randomly or sporadically.
- Done or made without due consideration or attention; precipitate or cursory:
- Done or made rapidly due to pressing circumstances:
- Acting with too much speed or haste; hurried:
- Done routinely and with little interest or care:
- Acting with indifference; showing little interest or care.
- Performed with haste and scant attention to detail:
- Light, thin, and insubstantial:
- Lacking solidity or strength; easily damaged:
- Lacking plausibility; unconvincing:
Synonym Study
- Cursory , which may or may not be derogatory, suggests a brief or hasty consideration of something without pausing to note details a cursory inspection
- Shallow , in this connection always derogatory, implies a lack of depth, as of character, intellect, or meaning shallow writing
- Superficial implies concern with the obvious or surface aspects of a thing superficial characteristics and, in a derogatory sense, lack of thoroughness, profoundness, significance, etc. superficial judgments
© WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD® ROGET’S A-Z THESAURUS by Charlton Laird and the editors of Webster’s New World dictionaries. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.