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say it: soo-pur-FISH-uhl
superficial is an adjective meaning "concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually". It is pronounced /ˌsupɚˈfɪʃəl/ — soo-pur-FISH-uhl. It carries 5 recorded senses.
concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually
“superficial similarities”
“a superficial mind”
“his thinking was superficial and fuzzy”
“superficial knowledge”
“the superficial report didn't give the true picture”
“only superficial differences”
of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
“superficial measurements”
“the superficial area of the wall”
“a superficial wound”
of little substance or significance
“a few superficial editorial changes”
“only trivial objections”
occurring on or near the surface of the skin
“superficial burns”
“superficial facial injuries”
hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
“a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws”
“a passing glance”
“perfunctory courtesy”
“In his paper, he showed a very superficial understanding of psychoanalytic theory”
Definitions, synonyms and semantic relations for superficial come from Princeton University’s WordNet. The pronunciation comes from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Commonness is measured against a corpus of everyday English. Full sources and licences.