superficial
shallow; concerned only with surface appearances
Word origin: From Latin superficies, surface.
Superficial in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing superficial in a sentence.
His knowledge of the subject proved superficial under questioning.
His grasp of the subject proved superficial, sufficient for small talk but not for genuine analysis.
Using “superficial” well
Superficial means shallow, concerned only with surface appearances. It can describe a wound on the surface, a cursory treatment, or a person lacking depth.
More GRE words starting with S
to deliberately damage or obstruct something, especially in secret
an intensely sweet, calorie-free artificial sweetener
excessively sweet or sentimental in a cloying way
regarded as too important or sacred to be altered or criticized
having keen practical judgment and discernment
soundness of judgment and acuteness of discernment
most noticeable or important; standing out prominently
of a sickly yellowish or pale complexion
Questions about “superficial”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.