WordWeb Online

1. Of little substance or significance
   "a few superficial editorial changes";
   - trivial
    
2. Occurring on or near the surface of the skin
   "superficial burns"; "superficial facial injuries"
    
3. 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
    
4. 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"
    
5. Of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
   "superficial measurements"; "the superficial area of the wall"; "a superficial wound"

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

Antonym: profound

Encyclopedia: Superficial