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Adjective: superficial  ,soo-pu(r)'fi-shul
  1. Concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually
    "his thinking was superficial and fuzzy"; "superficial knowledge"; "the superficial report didn't give the true picture"; "only superficial differences"; "superficial similarities"; "a superficial mind"
     
  2. Of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
    "a superficial wound"; "superficial measurements"; "the superficial area of the wall"
     
  3. Of little substance or significance
    "a few superficial editorial changes";
    - trivial
     
  4. Occurring on or near the surface of the skin
    "superficial burns"; "superficial facial injuries"
     
  5. Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    "a superficial inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws"; "In his paper, he showed a very superficial understanding of psychoanalytic theory";
    - casual, cursory, passing, perfunctory

See also: apparent, careless, cavalier, dilettante, dilettanteish, dilettantish, facile, fluffy [informal], frivolous, glib, insignificant, looking, ostensible, outward, sciolistic, seeming, shallow, skin-deep, slick, sounding, unimportant

Antonym: profound

Encyclopedia: Superficial