The meaning of Superficial

adjective

Clearly visible or understood; obvious.

Usage examples:

For no apparent reason she laughed

adjective

Able to be seen or understood

Usage examples:

[ + that clause ] it was becoming increasingly apparent that he could no longer look after himself.…

adjective

Relaxed and unconcerned.

Usage examples:

A casual attitude to life

noun

A person who does something irregularly.

Usage examples:

A number of casuals became regular customers

adjective

Not serious or careful in attitude; only partly interested

Usage examples:

A casual glance at a magazine, even to the casual observer, the forgery was obvious., we have a sma…

adjective

Relating to treatment intended to restore or improve a person's appearance.

Usage examples:

Cosmetic surgery

noun

A preparation applied to the body, especially the face, to improve its appearance.

Usage examples:

The range covers everything from the latest cosmetics to skin and hair care

adjective

Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed.

Usage examples:

A cursory glance at the figures

adjective

Done quickly with little attention to detail

Usage examples:

He gave the picture a cursory glance.

adjective

Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.

Usage examples:

A few people were left, dancing in a desultory fashion

adjective

Without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest

Usage examples:

She made a desultory attempt at conversation., he wandered around, cleaning up in a desultory way.

adjective

Forming, situated on, or relating to the outside of something.

Usage examples:

Exterior and interior walls

noun

The outer surface or structure of something.

Usage examples:

A jar with floral designs on the exterior

adjective

Outer; on or from the outside

Usage examples:

The exterior walls of the house are painted pink., the exterior of the house needs painting.

adjective

Belonging to or forming the outer surface or structure of something.

Usage examples:

The external walls

noun

The outward features of something.

Usage examples:

The place has all the appropriate externals, such as chimneys choked with ivy

Happening or arising outside some limits or surface

adjective

Lasting for a very short time.

Usage examples:

For a fleeting moment i saw the face of a boy

verb

Move or pass quickly.

Usage examples:

A variety of expressions fleeted across his face

Lasting for a markedly brief time

adjective

Done with excessive speed or urgency; hurried.

Usage examples:

A hasty attempt to defuse the situation

adjective

Hasty actions are done in a hurry, sometimes without the necessary care or thought

Usage examples:

He warned against making hasty decisions., now let's not leap to any hasty conclusions., we saw the…

adjective

Done in a hurry; rushed.

Usage examples:

I ate a hurried breakfast

verb

Move or act with great haste.

Usage examples:

We'd better hurry

adjective

Not perfect; faulty or incomplete.

Usage examples:

An imperfect grasp of english

noun

The imperfect tense.

adjective

Not perfect or not complete

Usage examples:

Our rule of law is still imperfect, but it’s better than having no laws at all., [ c ] investigator…

adjective

Lacking the quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.

Usage examples:

These labels prove to be wholly inadequate

adjective

Too low in quality or too small in amount; not enough

Usage examples:

An inadequate income/offer, i feel inadequate when i talk to miranda about art because she knows so…

adjective

Too small in amount

Usage examples:

Inadequate funds/incomes/pensions too many of us are retiring on hopelessly inadequate incomes., th…

adjective

Ungraciously or offensively nonchalant or cool in manner.

Usage examples:

You were a bit offhand with her this afternoon

adverb

Without previous thought or consideration.

Usage examples:

I can't think of a better answer offhand

adverb

Now, without looking for information or without taking the time to consider carefully

Usage examples:

I can’t tell you the exact number offhand, but it was something like $25,000., offhand remarks, his…

adjective

Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

Usage examples:

The real dispute which lay behind the ostensible complaint

adjective

Appearing or claiming to be one thing when it is really something else

Usage examples:

Rous published 60 scientific papers after his ostensible retirement., if the engine on an ostensibl…

adjective

Outside; external.

Usage examples:

The outer layer of the skin

noun

An outer garment or part of one.

Usage examples:

Boots with stiff leather outers

adjective

On the outside, or at a greater distance from the center or inside

Usage examples:

An outer covering/layer, a line of trees marks the outer edge of the property.

adjective

Furthest from the centre.

Usage examples:

The outermost layer of the earth

pronoun

The one that is furthest from the centre.

Usage examples:

The orbit of the outermost of these eight planets

adjective

Farthest away, or farthest from the center or from the inside

Usage examples:

We took a ferry ride to the outermost island.

noun

The external side or surface of something.

Usage examples:

Record the date on the outside of the file

adjective

Situated on or near the exterior or external surface of something.

Usage examples:

Anne put the outside lights on

preposition

Situated or moving beyond the boundaries or confines of.

Usage examples:

There was a boy outside the door

adjective

Of, on, or from the outside.

Usage examples:

Outward pressure

adverb

Outwards.

Usage examples:

Cue balls also have sweet spots that radiate outward from the center.

adjective

Relating to how people, situations, or things seem to be, rather than how they are inside

Usage examples:

There were no outward signs that she was injured., outwardly, he seemed confident, but he was full …

adjective

Going past.

Usage examples:

Passing cars

noun

The passage of something, especially time.

Usage examples:

With the passing of the years she had become a little eccentric

verb

Move or cause to move in a specified direction.

Usage examples:

He passed through towns and villages

adjective

(of an action) carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort.

Usage examples:

He gave a perfunctory nod

adjective

Done quickly and without showing that you care or have much interest

Usage examples:

She asked a few perfunctory questions about my family and then ended the conversation.

adjective

Relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something.

Usage examples:

The peripheral areas of europe

noun

A peripheral device.

Usage examples:

Printers and other peripherals

adjective

Not central or of main importance

Usage examples:

First of all, we had to find out who the thief was – getting the money back was a peripheral issue.

adjective

Happening in a short time or at a great rate.

Usage examples:

The country's rapid economic decline

noun

A fast-flowing and turbulent part of the course of a river.

Usage examples:

Those of you looking for adventure can shoot the rapids

adjective

Quick or sudden

Usage examples:

Rapid growth, there’s been rapid change in china., we kept up a rapid pace., males grow more rapidl…

adjective

Done or completed too hurriedly; hasty.

Usage examples:

A rushed job

verb

Move with urgent haste.

Usage examples:

Oliver rushed after her

adjective

Done in a hurry, or feeling that you must do something quickly

Usage examples:

Supper was rushed since the family had to go out that evening., i allowed plenty of time and didn't…

adjective

Appearing to be real or true, but not necessarily being so; apparent.

Usage examples:

Ellen's seeming indifference to the woman's fate

noun

The outward appearance or aspect of someone or something, especially when considered as deceptive or as distinguished from reality.

Usage examples:

That dissidence between inward reality and outward seeming

verb

Give the impression of being something or having a particular quality.

Usage examples:

Dawn seemed annoyed

adjective

Not thorough or detailed.

Usage examples:

The information they had was sketchy

adjective

Not detailed or not complete

Usage examples:

Officials provided only sketchy details of the trip.

adjective

Done too hurriedly and carelessly.

Usage examples:

He gave a slapdash performance

adverb

Hurriedly and carelessly.

Usage examples:

His cabin bordering the upper buffalo river wilderness in the ozarks of northwest arkansas is slapd…

idiom

Marked by great carelessness

adjective

Small in degree; inconsiderable.

Usage examples:

A slight increase

verb

Insult (someone) by treating or speaking of them without proper respect or attention.

Usage examples:

He was desperate not to slight a guest

noun

An insult caused by a failure to show someone proper respect or attention.

Usage examples:

An unintended slight can create grudges

adjective

Characterized by a lack of care, thought, or organization.

Usage examples:

He'd caused many problems with his slipshod management

adjective

Showing lack of effort and attention

Usage examples:

Slipshod repairs

adjective

Superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

Usage examples:

A specious argument

adjective

Seeming to be right or true, but really wrong or false

Usage examples:

A specious distinction, his whole argument is specious.

noun

The outside part or uppermost layer of something.

Usage examples:

The earth's surface

adjective

Relating to or found on the surface of something.

Usage examples:

Surface layers

verb

Rise or come up to the surface of the water or the ground.

Usage examples:

He surfaced from his dive

noun

A thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.

Usage examples:

I wanted to offer you a small token of my appreciation

adjective

Done for the sake of appearances or as a symbolic gesture.

Usage examples:

Cases like these often bring just token fines from magistrates

noun

Something you give to someone or do for someone to express your feelings or intentions

Usage examples:

It isn’t a big present – it’s just a token of thanks for your help., subway tokens, a token fee, a …

adjective

Disregarded and unappreciated.

Usage examples:

A snapper-up of unconsidered trifles

adjective

(of an action or remark) not carefully thought about