Definition of superficial in English:

superficial

adjective ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃ(ə)lˌsupərˈfɪʃəl

1Existing or occurring at or on the surface.
表面的；外表的
the building suffered only superficial damage
建筑物只是表面受到了些毁坏。
Example sentencesExamples
- The connection between the two is not external and superficial, but deeply internal and causal.
- Latent infection is seen as the scabby, superficial lesions on roots.
- It is as if the novel's intellectual and ideological muddle is merely a superficial layer of flotsam bobbing on a boiling sea of emotion.
- For every study finding that they are safe, there is one suggesting that they might indeed cause some damage, superficial or otherwise.
- Yet from Dione's point of view, their realism and design are superficial features.
- If I put my hands around a man's neck and squeeze, I may inflict only superficial damage.
- The damage was superficial and the problem fixed.
- Criticism must see beyond superficial décor to spiritual purpose and order.
- Golding's challenge to any definite sense of comprehension through superficial perception is inextricably entwined with his writing's own visual aspects.
- His equipment would be merged with existing industry sensors that nondestructively assess superficial visual traits, including size, color, and bruising.
Synonyms
surface, exterior, external, outer, outside, outermost, peripheral, slight
1. 1.1 Situated or occurring on the skin or immediately beneath it.
  表皮的
  the superficial muscle groups
  表皮肌肉组织。
  Example sentencesExamples
  I was in two major car accidents, which left me with superficial scars that I will carry the rest of my life.
  A spokesman confirmed he was detained overnight with superficial injuries.
  They were treated for smoke inhalation and superficial burns.
  Masson takes him to a nearby doctor who allays his fears that he only suffered superficial flesh wounds - he has nothing serious to worry about.
2Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.
表面上的
the resemblance between the breeds is superficial
这些品种之间的相似只是表面上的。
Example sentencesExamples
- The weakness of many of these fads is that they have the superficial appearance that something profound is happening, yet the substance is not there.
- It only affirms the hugely popular, superficial notion of a culture in crisis, of a culture lost in a constant loop of revivals.
- At a superficial level, I was different because I wore different clothes, cracked different jokes, interacted with students differently.
- There are certain superficial resemblances, say, to the nineties films such as American Beauty, or the recent Ghost World.
- While this correlation between domestic dictatorship and foreign aggression has a superficial plausibility, it is simply not true on the factual, historical record.
- That is, they sound good on a superficial level, but a look at the fine print shows a different picture.
- Sensibly, I think, he acknowledges that comics and movies are two wildly different media, despite superficial resemblances.
- Despite superficial resemblances to their medieval predecessors, these Lutheran altarpieces share a number of striking new features.
- A superficial comparison of Roth with Malamud reveals two versions of the problems of self-definition which is at the core of this literature.
- While there is a superficial resemblance in shape, the Atech lacks some of the more elegant features of the Macintosh, such as the clamshell design, but adds some nifty features for system builders.
- At a superficial level, an appreciation of 16% may seem like a pretty good return over eleven months.
- The landscape rolls by with superficial uneventfulness until the eye begins to entertain itself by finding distinctive features.
- His new collection, Oblivion, contains eight stories of uncompromising difficulty, with certain superficial similarities.
- Most of the problems are superficial and have no real substance.
- Correspondingly, each claimed that the other remained entangled in, and misled by, a superficial, merely apparent reality.
- He did not make the mistake of judging Catalans not only by their difference from other Spaniards but by superficial resemblances to French ways and style.
- On a purely superficial level, this album mirrors its predecessor so closely I ought to really give them identical grades.
- The superficial distinction, that architects necessarily have to deal with the urban context while sculptors can choose to avoid it, conceals much more complicated variations.
- Whilst these conclusions may have a superficial validity they say nothing of the dynamics and processes of change and the social content underlying the institutional restructuring explored by the authors.
- That said there does appear to be some superficial evidence that suggests the period from May to September is a dull period for shares.
- This principle states that, despite the superficial power enjoyed by the capitalists and landowners, the true bosses under capitalism are the consumers.
Synonyms
apparent, specious, seeming, outward, ostensible, cosmetic, slight
3Not thorough, deep, or complete; cursory.
粗浅的，粗略的
he had only the most superficial knowledge of foreign countries
他对外国只有非常粗略的一点知识。
Example sentencesExamples
- A 14-minute featurette entitled ‘A Talent for Life: Iris’ gives a fairly superficial look at the making of the film.
- Maybe the relatively superficial thinking behind the French poster designs stems from a sense of helplessness and an inability to really grasp the whole of the monumental injustices occurring.
- Critics with a superficial understanding of the principle imagine that it would force all land into use and lead to overdevelopment.
- Anyone with even the most superficial aquaintence with the history of the French revolution will know what that means, in nine cases out of ten.
- He gives a superficial and inadequate account of Kipling's curious, subtle, savage, contradictory passion for England, which was both his home and his place of exile.
- Paradoxically, this show is both mind-numbingly sombre and utterly superficial.
- Perhaps the biggest disappointment is his extremely superficial treatment of the historical experience of the now developed countries.
- But this is pretty lame stuff - dated, superficial, unfocused and only intermittently engrossing.
- The rest is superficial, a blight of the modern obsession with looks and image.
- The general impression was of a scrappy and superficial campaign, facing a coherent and single-minded Government.
- Writing stand-up only heightens my sense that one joke, plus another joke, plus another all adds up to a superficial experience.
- It's too light to be a spoof, too superficial to get to the real meat of why rap culture inspires so many privileged peons.
- It's all very superficial and doesn't really explore any issues it does raise.
- The insights are superficial too, but it is a light comedy after all.
- In short, the museum should strive to do something more than facilitate superficial understandings and mere idol worship.
- The film suggests that it is better to understand and accept the condition as normal than to try to eradicate it with supposed miracle cures, or superficial lifestyle changes.
- Despite some superficial and unfounded criticism about the fact that the manual would be outdated, much of it still retains significant validity.
- Before reading the book I only had a superficial knowledge of his life and career.
- Dialogue is sparse, so the humour is superficial, not character-driven, and shows up as glib one-liners.
- The characters themselves are little more than superficial sketches that become increasingly indistinguishable as the movie proceeds.
- It was written from kind of a superficial, Hollywood point of view, essentially filled, I think, with a lot of lies by omission.
- But only for people who have had sufficient experience of their own - and then only to appreciate other situations, not to pronounce on them with the most superficial of knowledge.
- It was too superficial an examination of the subject, which ironically reminded me that there is quite a bit that I don't know about history in general.
Synonyms
cursory, perfunctory, casual, sketchy, desultory, unconsidered, token, slapdash, slipshod, offhand, inadequate, imperfect, slight
rushed, hasty, hurried, rapid, fleeting, passing
1. 3.1 Lacking depth of character or understanding.
  肤浅的
  perhaps I was a superficial person
  也许我是个肤浅的人。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Bitty Schram is suitably superficial and irritating as Hallie.
  Nothing is that wrong with Sex and the City - well unless you look beyond the humour and realise how superficial the women are - although the latest series has been dreary.
  Like all single career women, Bridget is a slobbering alcoholic, a superficial ninny posing as a competent professional and intellectual.
  The script lacks any such subtleties and none of the cast is skillful enough to be able to suggest any depth beyond the script's superficial characterizations.
  And the characters are so superficial that we hardly care which of these different fates may befall them.
  Mullings' portrayal of the duplicitous wife is forced and superficial.
  I actually found all of the characters tremendously superficial and predictable in a lot of ways.
  A lot of the judgements that designers make about other designers are superficial.
  What conversation exists is trapped in a level of superficial banality.
  She worries that people think she is superficial, and the deeper Anne cannot withstand that.
  So, he decided to inhabit a character who was very much like he was in real life: Brash, glib, superficial and immensely appreciative of beautiful women.
  Actually I think it makes the characters seem whiney and irritating and erm… superficial.
  The mother, of course, is ditzy, frazzled and superficial because there can be no real happiness beyond the city limits.
  It is the vision of an Englishman, a sportsman and a visitor yet not that of a superficial tourist, and, irritating as it might be to the Scottish nationalist in the age of devolution, it still exerts a powerful appeal.
  I can't imagine any lady in real life being so easily seduced by so superficial a character.
  That's why fearful people with weak, inconsistent or superficial values tend to lack influence or any genuine success.
  On the whole, the cast does a very nice job with their superficial characters and makes them charming, funny, and/or despicable as needed.
  However, the better you know Doucet's sources, the more you realize how superficial his version is.
  Surely the female species is not so superficial?
  In Maelstrom, the main characters are slick, superficial people who deepen emotionally because of the trauma.
  Shreve gives a very superficial rendering of her characters.
  Synonyms
  shallow, surface, on the surface, skin-deep, minimal, artificial
  insignificant, unimportant, empty, hollow, meaningless
  facile, shallow, glib, flippant, thoughtless, empty-headed, trivial, frivolous, silly, inane, without depth, fatuous
4British Building
Denoting a quantity of a material expressed in terms of area covered rather than linear dimension or volume.
〔建筑〕〈主英〉面积的，平方的

Derivatives

superficialness

noun

Fashionable implies superficialness, a preoccupation with identity and consumption rather than an interest in politics and foreign policy.
Example sentencesExamples
- Things that don't interest me are fake people, opportunists, onions, putting gas in my car, washing my car, people who lack manners, people who lie, superficialness and braggarts.
- I'll admit I was a victim to superficialness and materialism but unlike most people I'm making an effort to change my lifestyle and it's a slow but progressing process.
- He wants people to look beyond the superficialness of the subject's surface and see the beauty within.
- This game certainly had potential but now is stuck in superficialness and this results in a lot of missed opportunities.

Origin

Late Middle English: from late Latin superficialis, from Latin superficies (see superficies).

This is from Latin superficies ‘surface’, and was at first used in the literal sense. The word came to be applied to people meaning ‘shallow’ in the early 17th century (Shakespeare Measure for Measure: ‘A very superficial, ignorant, unweighing fellow’). Surface (early 17th century) was a 16th-century French coinage based on the Latin.

Rhymes

artificial, beneficial, initial, interstitial, judicial, official, sacrificial, solstitial

Definition of superficial in US English:

superficial

adjectiveˌso͞opərˈfiSHəlˌsupərˈfɪʃəl

1Existing or occurring at or on the surface.
表面的；外表的
the building suffered only superficial damage
建筑物只是表面受到了些毁坏。
Example sentencesExamples
- If I put my hands around a man's neck and squeeze, I may inflict only superficial damage.
- Golding's challenge to any definite sense of comprehension through superficial perception is inextricably entwined with his writing's own visual aspects.
- It is as if the novel's intellectual and ideological muddle is merely a superficial layer of flotsam bobbing on a boiling sea of emotion.
- The damage was superficial and the problem fixed.
- Criticism must see beyond superficial décor to spiritual purpose and order.
- Yet from Dione's point of view, their realism and design are superficial features.
- His equipment would be merged with existing industry sensors that nondestructively assess superficial visual traits, including size, color, and bruising.
- The connection between the two is not external and superficial, but deeply internal and causal.
- Latent infection is seen as the scabby, superficial lesions on roots.
- For every study finding that they are safe, there is one suggesting that they might indeed cause some damage, superficial or otherwise.
Synonyms
surface, exterior, external, outer, outside, outermost, peripheral, slight
1. 1.1 Situated or occurring on the skin or immediately beneath it.
  表皮的
  the superficial muscle groups
  表皮肌肉组织。
  Example sentencesExamples
  They were treated for smoke inhalation and superficial burns.
  A spokesman confirmed he was detained overnight with superficial injuries.
  I was in two major car accidents, which left me with superficial scars that I will carry the rest of my life.
  Masson takes him to a nearby doctor who allays his fears that he only suffered superficial flesh wounds - he has nothing serious to worry about.
2. 1.2 Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.
  表面上的
  the resemblance between the breeds is superficial
  这些品种之间的相似只是表面上的。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The weakness of many of these fads is that they have the superficial appearance that something profound is happening, yet the substance is not there.
  Most of the problems are superficial and have no real substance.
  While this correlation between domestic dictatorship and foreign aggression has a superficial plausibility, it is simply not true on the factual, historical record.
  He did not make the mistake of judging Catalans not only by their difference from other Spaniards but by superficial resemblances to French ways and style.
  The landscape rolls by with superficial uneventfulness until the eye begins to entertain itself by finding distinctive features.
  At a superficial level, I was different because I wore different clothes, cracked different jokes, interacted with students differently.
  There are certain superficial resemblances, say, to the nineties films such as American Beauty, or the recent Ghost World.
  That is, they sound good on a superficial level, but a look at the fine print shows a different picture.
  This principle states that, despite the superficial power enjoyed by the capitalists and landowners, the true bosses under capitalism are the consumers.
  At a superficial level, an appreciation of 16% may seem like a pretty good return over eleven months.
  Correspondingly, each claimed that the other remained entangled in, and misled by, a superficial, merely apparent reality.
  A superficial comparison of Roth with Malamud reveals two versions of the problems of self-definition which is at the core of this literature.
  The superficial distinction, that architects necessarily have to deal with the urban context while sculptors can choose to avoid it, conceals much more complicated variations.
  It only affirms the hugely popular, superficial notion of a culture in crisis, of a culture lost in a constant loop of revivals.
  That said there does appear to be some superficial evidence that suggests the period from May to September is a dull period for shares.
  Despite superficial resemblances to their medieval predecessors, these Lutheran altarpieces share a number of striking new features.
  Sensibly, I think, he acknowledges that comics and movies are two wildly different media, despite superficial resemblances.
  On a purely superficial level, this album mirrors its predecessor so closely I ought to really give them identical grades.
  Whilst these conclusions may have a superficial validity they say nothing of the dynamics and processes of change and the social content underlying the institutional restructuring explored by the authors.
  His new collection, Oblivion, contains eight stories of uncompromising difficulty, with certain superficial similarities.
  While there is a superficial resemblance in shape, the Atech lacks some of the more elegant features of the Macintosh, such as the clamshell design, but adds some nifty features for system builders.
  Synonyms
  apparent, specious, seeming, outward, ostensible, cosmetic, slight
3. 1.3 Not thorough, deep, or complete; cursory.
  粗浅的，粗略的
  he had only the most superficial knowledge of foreign countries
  他对外国只有非常粗略的一点知识。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The film suggests that it is better to understand and accept the condition as normal than to try to eradicate it with supposed miracle cures, or superficial lifestyle changes.
  Dialogue is sparse, so the humour is superficial, not character-driven, and shows up as glib one-liners.
  The rest is superficial, a blight of the modern obsession with looks and image.
  A 14-minute featurette entitled ‘A Talent for Life: Iris’ gives a fairly superficial look at the making of the film.
  In short, the museum should strive to do something more than facilitate superficial understandings and mere idol worship.
  It's too light to be a spoof, too superficial to get to the real meat of why rap culture inspires so many privileged peons.
  Critics with a superficial understanding of the principle imagine that it would force all land into use and lead to overdevelopment.
  The general impression was of a scrappy and superficial campaign, facing a coherent and single-minded Government.
  Maybe the relatively superficial thinking behind the French poster designs stems from a sense of helplessness and an inability to really grasp the whole of the monumental injustices occurring.
  It's all very superficial and doesn't really explore any issues it does raise.
  But only for people who have had sufficient experience of their own - and then only to appreciate other situations, not to pronounce on them with the most superficial of knowledge.
  Anyone with even the most superficial aquaintence with the history of the French revolution will know what that means, in nine cases out of ten.
  Paradoxically, this show is both mind-numbingly sombre and utterly superficial.
  Perhaps the biggest disappointment is his extremely superficial treatment of the historical experience of the now developed countries.
  Before reading the book I only had a superficial knowledge of his life and career.
  But this is pretty lame stuff - dated, superficial, unfocused and only intermittently engrossing.
  The characters themselves are little more than superficial sketches that become increasingly indistinguishable as the movie proceeds.
  Despite some superficial and unfounded criticism about the fact that the manual would be outdated, much of it still retains significant validity.
  It was too superficial an examination of the subject, which ironically reminded me that there is quite a bit that I don't know about history in general.
  It was written from kind of a superficial, Hollywood point of view, essentially filled, I think, with a lot of lies by omission.
  He gives a superficial and inadequate account of Kipling's curious, subtle, savage, contradictory passion for England, which was both his home and his place of exile.
  Writing stand-up only heightens my sense that one joke, plus another joke, plus another all adds up to a superficial experience.
  The insights are superficial too, but it is a light comedy after all.
  Synonyms
  cursory, perfunctory, casual, sketchy, desultory, unconsidered, token, slapdash, slipshod, offhand, inadequate, imperfect, slight
4. 1.4 Not having or showing any depth of character or understanding.
  肤浅的
  perhaps I was a superficial person
  也许我是个肤浅的人。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Nothing is that wrong with Sex and the City - well unless you look beyond the humour and realise how superficial the women are - although the latest series has been dreary.
  And the characters are so superficial that we hardly care which of these different fates may befall them.
  So, he decided to inhabit a character who was very much like he was in real life: Brash, glib, superficial and immensely appreciative of beautiful women.
  What conversation exists is trapped in a level of superficial banality.
  It is the vision of an Englishman, a sportsman and a visitor yet not that of a superficial tourist, and, irritating as it might be to the Scottish nationalist in the age of devolution, it still exerts a powerful appeal.
  Bitty Schram is suitably superficial and irritating as Hallie.
  That's why fearful people with weak, inconsistent or superficial values tend to lack influence or any genuine success.
  The mother, of course, is ditzy, frazzled and superficial because there can be no real happiness beyond the city limits.
  Like all single career women, Bridget is a slobbering alcoholic, a superficial ninny posing as a competent professional and intellectual.
  Shreve gives a very superficial rendering of her characters.
  A lot of the judgements that designers make about other designers are superficial.
  She worries that people think she is superficial, and the deeper Anne cannot withstand that.
  I can't imagine any lady in real life being so easily seduced by so superficial a character.
  Surely the female species is not so superficial?
  However, the better you know Doucet's sources, the more you realize how superficial his version is.
  I actually found all of the characters tremendously superficial and predictable in a lot of ways.
  The script lacks any such subtleties and none of the cast is skillful enough to be able to suggest any depth beyond the script's superficial characterizations.
  Actually I think it makes the characters seem whiney and irritating and erm… superficial.
  Mullings' portrayal of the duplicitous wife is forced and superficial.
  On the whole, the cast does a very nice job with their superficial characters and makes them charming, funny, and/or despicable as needed.
  In Maelstrom, the main characters are slick, superficial people who deepen emotionally because of the trauma.
  Synonyms
  shallow, surface, on the surface, skin-deep, minimal, artificial
  facile, shallow, glib, flippant, thoughtless, empty-headed, trivial, frivolous, silly, inane, without depth, fatuous

Origin

Late Middle English: from late Latin superficialis, from Latin superficies (see superficies).

单词	superficial
释义	Definition of superficial in English: superficial adjective ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃ(ə)lˌsupərˈfɪʃəl 1Existing or occurring at or on the surface. 表面的；外表的 the building suffered only superficial damage 建筑物只是表面受到了些毁坏。 Example sentencesExamples The connection between the two is not external and superficial, but deeply internal and causal. Latent infection is seen as the scabby, superficial lesions on roots. It is as if the novel's intellectual and ideological muddle is merely a superficial layer of flotsam bobbing on a boiling sea of emotion. For every study finding that they are safe, there is one suggesting that they might indeed cause some damage, superficial or otherwise. Yet from Dione's point of view, their realism and design are superficial features. If I put my hands around a man's neck and squeeze, I may inflict only superficial damage. The damage was superficial and the problem fixed. Criticism must see beyond superficial décor to spiritual purpose and order. Golding's challenge to any definite sense of comprehension through superficial perception is inextricably entwined with his writing's own visual aspects. His equipment would be merged with existing industry sensors that nondestructively assess superficial visual traits, including size, color, and bruising. Synonyms surface, exterior, external, outer, outside, outermost, peripheral, slight 1.1 Situated or occurring on the skin or immediately beneath it. 表皮的 the superficial muscle groups 表皮肌肉组织。 Example sentencesExamples I was in two major car accidents, which left me with superficial scars that I will carry the rest of my life. A spokesman confirmed he was detained overnight with superficial injuries. They were treated for smoke inhalation and superficial burns. Masson takes him to a nearby doctor who allays his fears that he only suffered superficial flesh wounds - he has nothing serious to worry about. 2Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely. 表面上的 the resemblance between the breeds is superficial 这些品种之间的相似只是表面上的。 Example sentencesExamples The weakness of many of these fads is that they have the superficial appearance that something profound is happening, yet the substance is not there. It only affirms the hugely popular, superficial notion of a culture in crisis, of a culture lost in a constant loop of revivals. At a superficial level, I was different because I wore different clothes, cracked different jokes, interacted with students differently. There are certain superficial resemblances, say, to the nineties films such as American Beauty, or the recent Ghost World. While this correlation between domestic dictatorship and foreign aggression has a superficial plausibility, it is simply not true on the factual, historical record. That is, they sound good on a superficial level, but a look at the fine print shows a different picture. Sensibly, I think, he acknowledges that comics and movies are two wildly different media, despite superficial resemblances. Despite superficial resemblances to their medieval predecessors, these Lutheran altarpieces share a number of striking new features. A superficial comparison of Roth with Malamud reveals two versions of the problems of self-definition which is at the core of this literature. While there is a superficial resemblance in shape, the Atech lacks some of the more elegant features of the Macintosh, such as the clamshell design, but adds some nifty features for system builders. At a superficial level, an appreciation of 16% may seem like a pretty good return over eleven months. The landscape rolls by with superficial uneventfulness until the eye begins to entertain itself by finding distinctive features. His new collection, Oblivion, contains eight stories of uncompromising difficulty, with certain superficial similarities. Most of the problems are superficial and have no real substance. Correspondingly, each claimed that the other remained entangled in, and misled by, a superficial, merely apparent reality. He did not make the mistake of judging Catalans not only by their difference from other Spaniards but by superficial resemblances to French ways and style. On a purely superficial level, this album mirrors its predecessor so closely I ought to really give them identical grades. The superficial distinction, that architects necessarily have to deal with the urban context while sculptors can choose to avoid it, conceals much more complicated variations. Whilst these conclusions may have a superficial validity they say nothing of the dynamics and processes of change and the social content underlying the institutional restructuring explored by the authors. That said there does appear to be some superficial evidence that suggests the period from May to September is a dull period for shares. This principle states that, despite the superficial power enjoyed by the capitalists and landowners, the true bosses under capitalism are the consumers. Synonyms apparent, specious, seeming, outward, ostensible, cosmetic, slight 3Not thorough, deep, or complete; cursory. 粗浅的，粗略的 he had only the most superficial knowledge of foreign countries 他对外国只有非常粗略的一点知识。 Example sentencesExamples A 14-minute featurette entitled ‘A Talent for Life: Iris’ gives a fairly superficial look at the making of the film. Maybe the relatively superficial thinking behind the French poster designs stems from a sense of helplessness and an inability to really grasp the whole of the monumental injustices occurring. Critics with a superficial understanding of the principle imagine that it would force all land into use and lead to overdevelopment. Anyone with even the most superficial aquaintence with the history of the French revolution will know what that means, in nine cases out of ten. He gives a superficial and inadequate account of Kipling's curious, subtle, savage, contradictory passion for England, which was both his home and his place of exile. Paradoxically, this show is both mind-numbingly sombre and utterly superficial. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is his extremely superficial treatment of the historical experience of the now developed countries. But this is pretty lame stuff - dated, superficial, unfocused and only intermittently engrossing. The rest is superficial, a blight of the modern obsession with looks and image. The general impression was of a scrappy and superficial campaign, facing a coherent and single-minded Government. Writing stand-up only heightens my sense that one joke, plus another joke, plus another all adds up to a superficial experience. It's too light to be a spoof, too superficial to get to the real meat of why rap culture inspires so many privileged peons. It's all very superficial and doesn't really explore any issues it does raise. The insights are superficial too, but it is a light comedy after all. In short, the museum should strive to do something more than facilitate superficial understandings and mere idol worship. The film suggests that it is better to understand and accept the condition as normal than to try to eradicate it with supposed miracle cures, or superficial lifestyle changes. Despite some superficial and unfounded criticism about the fact that the manual would be outdated, much of it still retains significant validity. Before reading the book I only had a superficial knowledge of his life and career. Dialogue is sparse, so the humour is superficial, not character-driven, and shows up as glib one-liners. The characters themselves are little more than superficial sketches that become increasingly indistinguishable as the movie proceeds. It was written from kind of a superficial, Hollywood point of view, essentially filled, I think, with a lot of lies by omission. But only for people who have had sufficient experience of their own - and then only to appreciate other situations, not to pronounce on them with the most superficial of knowledge. It was too superficial an examination of the subject, which ironically reminded me that there is quite a bit that I don't know about history in general. Synonyms cursory, perfunctory, casual, sketchy, desultory, unconsidered, token, slapdash, slipshod, offhand, inadequate, imperfect, slight rushed, hasty, hurried, rapid, fleeting, passing 3.1 Lacking depth of character or understanding. 肤浅的 perhaps I was a superficial person 也许我是个肤浅的人。 Example sentencesExamples Bitty Schram is suitably superficial and irritating as Hallie. Nothing is that wrong with Sex and the City - well unless you look beyond the humour and realise how superficial the women are - although the latest series has been dreary. Like all single career women, Bridget is a slobbering alcoholic, a superficial ninny posing as a competent professional and intellectual. The script lacks any such subtleties and none of the cast is skillful enough to be able to suggest any depth beyond the script's superficial characterizations. And the characters are so superficial that we hardly care which of these different fates may befall them. Mullings' portrayal of the duplicitous wife is forced and superficial. I actually found all of the characters tremendously superficial and predictable in a lot of ways. A lot of the judgements that designers make about other designers are superficial. What conversation exists is trapped in a level of superficial banality. She worries that people think she is superficial, and the deeper Anne cannot withstand that. So, he decided to inhabit a character who was very much like he was in real life: Brash, glib, superficial and immensely appreciative of beautiful women. Actually I think it makes the characters seem whiney and irritating and erm… superficial. The mother, of course, is ditzy, frazzled and superficial because there can be no real happiness beyond the city limits. It is the vision of an Englishman, a sportsman and a visitor yet not that of a superficial tourist, and, irritating as it might be to the Scottish nationalist in the age of devolution, it still exerts a powerful appeal. I can't imagine any lady in real life being so easily seduced by so superficial a character. That's why fearful people with weak, inconsistent or superficial values tend to lack influence or any genuine success. On the whole, the cast does a very nice job with their superficial characters and makes them charming, funny, and/or despicable as needed. However, the better you know Doucet's sources, the more you realize how superficial his version is. Surely the female species is not so superficial? In Maelstrom, the main characters are slick, superficial people who deepen emotionally because of the trauma. Shreve gives a very superficial rendering of her characters. Synonyms shallow, surface, on the surface, skin-deep, minimal, artificial insignificant, unimportant, empty, hollow, meaningless facile, shallow, glib, flippant, thoughtless, empty-headed, trivial, frivolous, silly, inane, without depth, fatuous 4British Building Denoting a quantity of a material expressed in terms of area covered rather than linear dimension or volume. 〔建筑〕〈主英〉面积的，平方的 Derivatives superficialness noun Fashionable implies superficialness, a preoccupation with identity and consumption rather than an interest in politics and foreign policy. Example sentencesExamples Things that don't interest me are fake people, opportunists, onions, putting gas in my car, washing my car, people who lack manners, people who lie, superficialness and braggarts. I'll admit I was a victim to superficialness and materialism but unlike most people I'm making an effort to change my lifestyle and it's a slow but progressing process. He wants people to look beyond the superficialness of the subject's surface and see the beauty within. This game certainly had potential but now is stuck in superficialness and this results in a lot of missed opportunities. Origin Late Middle English: from late Latin superficialis, from Latin superficies (see superficies). This is from Latin superficies ‘surface’, and was at first used in the literal sense. The word came to be applied to people meaning ‘shallow’ in the early 17th century (Shakespeare Measure for Measure: ‘A very superficial, ignorant, unweighing fellow’). Surface (early 17th century) was a 16th-century French coinage based on the Latin. Rhymes artificial, beneficial, initial, interstitial, judicial, official, sacrificial, solstitial Definition of superficial in US English: superficial adjectiveˌso͞opərˈfiSHəlˌsupərˈfɪʃəl 1Existing or occurring at or on the surface. 表面的；外表的 the building suffered only superficial damage 建筑物只是表面受到了些毁坏。 Example sentencesExamples If I put my hands around a man's neck and squeeze, I may inflict only superficial damage. Golding's challenge to any definite sense of comprehension through superficial perception is inextricably entwined with his writing's own visual aspects. It is as if the novel's intellectual and ideological muddle is merely a superficial layer of flotsam bobbing on a boiling sea of emotion. The damage was superficial and the problem fixed. Criticism must see beyond superficial décor to spiritual purpose and order. Yet from Dione's point of view, their realism and design are superficial features. His equipment would be merged with existing industry sensors that nondestructively assess superficial visual traits, including size, color, and bruising. The connection between the two is not external and superficial, but deeply internal and causal. Latent infection is seen as the scabby, superficial lesions on roots. For every study finding that they are safe, there is one suggesting that they might indeed cause some damage, superficial or otherwise. Synonyms surface, exterior, external, outer, outside, outermost, peripheral, slight 1.1 Situated or occurring on the skin or immediately beneath it. 表皮的 the superficial muscle groups 表皮肌肉组织。 Example sentencesExamples They were treated for smoke inhalation and superficial burns. A spokesman confirmed he was detained overnight with superficial injuries. I was in two major car accidents, which left me with superficial scars that I will carry the rest of my life. Masson takes him to a nearby doctor who allays his fears that he only suffered superficial flesh wounds - he has nothing serious to worry about. 1.2 Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely. 表面上的 the resemblance between the breeds is superficial 这些品种之间的相似只是表面上的。 Example sentencesExamples The weakness of many of these fads is that they have the superficial appearance that something profound is happening, yet the substance is not there. Most of the problems are superficial and have no real substance. While this correlation between domestic dictatorship and foreign aggression has a superficial plausibility, it is simply not true on the factual, historical record. He did not make the mistake of judging Catalans not only by their difference from other Spaniards but by superficial resemblances to French ways and style. The landscape rolls by with superficial uneventfulness until the eye begins to entertain itself by finding distinctive features. At a superficial level, I was different because I wore different clothes, cracked different jokes, interacted with students differently. There are certain superficial resemblances, say, to the nineties films such as American Beauty, or the recent Ghost World. That is, they sound good on a superficial level, but a look at the fine print shows a different picture. This principle states that, despite the superficial power enjoyed by the capitalists and landowners, the true bosses under capitalism are the consumers. At a superficial level, an appreciation of 16% may seem like a pretty good return over eleven months. Correspondingly, each claimed that the other remained entangled in, and misled by, a superficial, merely apparent reality. A superficial comparison of Roth with Malamud reveals two versions of the problems of self-definition which is at the core of this literature. The superficial distinction, that architects necessarily have to deal with the urban context while sculptors can choose to avoid it, conceals much more complicated variations. It only affirms the hugely popular, superficial notion of a culture in crisis, of a culture lost in a constant loop of revivals. That said there does appear to be some superficial evidence that suggests the period from May to September is a dull period for shares. Despite superficial resemblances to their medieval predecessors, these Lutheran altarpieces share a number of striking new features. Sensibly, I think, he acknowledges that comics and movies are two wildly different media, despite superficial resemblances. On a purely superficial level, this album mirrors its predecessor so closely I ought to really give them identical grades. Whilst these conclusions may have a superficial validity they say nothing of the dynamics and processes of change and the social content underlying the institutional restructuring explored by the authors. His new collection, Oblivion, contains eight stories of uncompromising difficulty, with certain superficial similarities. While there is a superficial resemblance in shape, the Atech lacks some of the more elegant features of the Macintosh, such as the clamshell design, but adds some nifty features for system builders. Synonyms apparent, specious, seeming, outward, ostensible, cosmetic, slight 1.3 Not thorough, deep, or complete; cursory. 粗浅的，粗略的 he had only the most superficial knowledge of foreign countries 他对外国只有非常粗略的一点知识。 Example sentencesExamples The film suggests that it is better to understand and accept the condition as normal than to try to eradicate it with supposed miracle cures, or superficial lifestyle changes. Dialogue is sparse, so the humour is superficial, not character-driven, and shows up as glib one-liners. The rest is superficial, a blight of the modern obsession with looks and image. A 14-minute featurette entitled ‘A Talent for Life: Iris’ gives a fairly superficial look at the making of the film. In short, the museum should strive to do something more than facilitate superficial understandings and mere idol worship. It's too light to be a spoof, too superficial to get to the real meat of why rap culture inspires so many privileged peons. Critics with a superficial understanding of the principle imagine that it would force all land into use and lead to overdevelopment. The general impression was of a scrappy and superficial campaign, facing a coherent and single-minded Government. Maybe the relatively superficial thinking behind the French poster designs stems from a sense of helplessness and an inability to really grasp the whole of the monumental injustices occurring. It's all very superficial and doesn't really explore any issues it does raise. But only for people who have had sufficient experience of their own - and then only to appreciate other situations, not to pronounce on them with the most superficial of knowledge. Anyone with even the most superficial aquaintence with the history of the French revolution will know what that means, in nine cases out of ten. Paradoxically, this show is both mind-numbingly sombre and utterly superficial. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is his extremely superficial treatment of the historical experience of the now developed countries. Before reading the book I only had a superficial knowledge of his life and career. But this is pretty lame stuff - dated, superficial, unfocused and only intermittently engrossing. The characters themselves are little more than superficial sketches that become increasingly indistinguishable as the movie proceeds. Despite some superficial and unfounded criticism about the fact that the manual would be outdated, much of it still retains significant validity. It was too superficial an examination of the subject, which ironically reminded me that there is quite a bit that I don't know about history in general. It was written from kind of a superficial, Hollywood point of view, essentially filled, I think, with a lot of lies by omission. He gives a superficial and inadequate account of Kipling's curious, subtle, savage, contradictory passion for England, which was both his home and his place of exile. Writing stand-up only heightens my sense that one joke, plus another joke, plus another all adds up to a superficial experience. The insights are superficial too, but it is a light comedy after all. Synonyms cursory, perfunctory, casual, sketchy, desultory, unconsidered, token, slapdash, slipshod, offhand, inadequate, imperfect, slight 1.4 Not having or showing any depth of character or understanding. 肤浅的 perhaps I was a superficial person 也许我是个肤浅的人。 Example sentencesExamples Nothing is that wrong with Sex and the City - well unless you look beyond the humour and realise how superficial the women are - although the latest series has been dreary. And the characters are so superficial that we hardly care which of these different fates may befall them. So, he decided to inhabit a character who was very much like he was in real life: Brash, glib, superficial and immensely appreciative of beautiful women. What conversation exists is trapped in a level of superficial banality. It is the vision of an Englishman, a sportsman and a visitor yet not that of a superficial tourist, and, irritating as it might be to the Scottish nationalist in the age of devolution, it still exerts a powerful appeal. Bitty Schram is suitably superficial and irritating as Hallie. That's why fearful people with weak, inconsistent or superficial values tend to lack influence or any genuine success. The mother, of course, is ditzy, frazzled and superficial because there can be no real happiness beyond the city limits. Like all single career women, Bridget is a slobbering alcoholic, a superficial ninny posing as a competent professional and intellectual. Shreve gives a very superficial rendering of her characters. A lot of the judgements that designers make about other designers are superficial. She worries that people think she is superficial, and the deeper Anne cannot withstand that. I can't imagine any lady in real life being so easily seduced by so superficial a character. Surely the female species is not so superficial? However, the better you know Doucet's sources, the more you realize how superficial his version is. I actually found all of the characters tremendously superficial and predictable in a lot of ways. The script lacks any such subtleties and none of the cast is skillful enough to be able to suggest any depth beyond the script's superficial characterizations. Actually I think it makes the characters seem whiney and irritating and erm… superficial. Mullings' portrayal of the duplicitous wife is forced and superficial. On the whole, the cast does a very nice job with their superficial characters and makes them charming, funny, and/or despicable as needed. In Maelstrom, the main characters are slick, superficial people who deepen emotionally because of the trauma. Synonyms shallow, surface, on the surface, skin-deep, minimal, artificial facile, shallow, glib, flippant, thoughtless, empty-headed, trivial, frivolous, silly, inane, without depth, fatuous Origin Late Middle English: from late Latin superficialis, from Latin superficies (see superficies).
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