SUPERFICIALLY Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

superficially

adverb

as in minimally

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Dissimilar Words

as in imperfectly

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of superficially Anna Anosowicz’s highly resourceful production design makes excellent use of existing midcentury brutalist architecture and far more ancient, enduring structures, all moldering under superficially futuristic window-dressing. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 This would allow the company to superficially inflate its plan costs and skirt medical loss ratio rules to increase its profits. — Grace MacKleby, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026 Tony Dalton brings impressive menace to a superficially affable sheriff, and Laura Donnelly strikes the perfect balance between femme fatale and innocent love interest. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 His brother and grandparents were injured, but only superficially. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 Unlike traditional microneedling, which uses metal needles inserted and withdrawn, spicules embed superficially and shed with normal skin turnover over a few days. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 Many of the devices employed during segregation, such as poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and literacy tests, were superficially race-neutral. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 Never water superficially but always give the root ball a good soaking. — Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2026 This requires that practitioners in this area have a deep understanding of the facts of a particular case and not approach the UPEPA superficially. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for superficially

Adverb

Collingwood says rotisserie chicken is best described as minimally processed.

— Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 15 Aug. 2026
That’s less likely than iPhone and Apple Watch increases, since AirPods should be minimally impacted by rising memory and storage costs.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimally

Adverb

The department exists to preserve some semblance of equal justice in the United States — imperfectly, haltingly, often overbearingly for some and cautiously for others — and help ensure that the nation is governed by the rule of law.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Rather than suffering because leaders acted imperfectly, organizations often suffer because leaders waited too long to act at all.

— Irma Becerra, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of imperfectly

Adverb

The boy was spotted sitting on his own at a hut about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above sea level – slightly more than halfway up the country’s tallest mountain – by a worker on Thursday, according to CNN’s affiliate TV Asahi.

— Chris Lau, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
The kitchen itself, though, feels fairly unused—one tap wasn’t working, the cutlery was slightly rusty, and the whole setup had a ramshackle quality.

— Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of slightly

Adverb

But critics have argued that the ads seem narrowly designed to encourage more people to use their glasses for continuous recording.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
Ossoff ran in a special election for Georgia's sixth congressional district in 2017, narrowly losing the race to Republican Karen Handel.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of narrowly

Adverb

Liverpool, the Premier League’s most profitable club, have only marginally broken across the FSG era (below).

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
What is significant about these marginally publishable literary acts, these ten pages in the body (of the email), is not how they are read but their conspicuous unreadness.

— M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of marginally

Adverb

Around the world, most caregivers are either uncompensated or inadequately compensated, and many rely on public assistance where available to make ends meet.

— Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The investigation also found that the Prison Rape Elimination Act was inadequately implemented.

— Sierra van der Brug, Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of inadequately

Adverb

Hundreds of miles away, Ukrainian drone crews had barely paused after the night’s work before starting to prepare for another attack.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Tampa Bay is closing in on the best record in baseball despite running out Taylor Walls, who is barely above replacement level, at short every day.

— Jayson Stark, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of barely

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superficiality

superficially

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“Superficially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superficially. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of superficially

adverb

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