superficialities
/ˌsü-pər-ˌfi-shē-ˈa-lə-tē How to pronounce superficiality (audio)/ (ame, mw)
superficialities — noun
1. The quality of showing only a shallow or surface-level understanding of a subjec
The quality of showing only a shallow or surface-level understanding of a subject, without real thought or serious analysis.
The book's superficialities disappointed critics who expected deep analysis of the social problem.
superficialities + of + [noun phrase] for lacking depth
Bao found the film review full of superficialities, with no real understanding of the director's work.
collocation: full of superficialities
The professor dismissed the student paper for its superficialities and weak arguments.
Political debates often drown in superficialities instead of addressing real policy differences.
Amira lost interest in the course because it focused on superficialities rather than core concepts.
- shallowness
Stronger and more judgmental — suggests not just surface-level but also a lack of seriousness or substance.
- emptiness
Suggests a complete absence of meaningful content, a stronger charge than superficiality.
- thoughtlessness
Focuses on the intellectual process — someone who did not think carefully before speaking or writing.
- depth
The opposite quality — showing thorough understanding and serious thought.
- profundity
Formal term for deep intellectual or emotional insight.
文法句型
superficialities + of + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
The singular form superficiality is uncountable when referring to the abstract quality. The plural superficialities typically refers to multiple manifestations of shallowness — for instance, in a piece of writing, an argument, or a conversation.
常見錯誤
2. A trivial detail, appearance-focused remark, or minor aspect that concerns only
A trivial detail, appearance-focused remark, or minor aspect that concerns only the surface of something, rather than what is important or meaningful.
The couple argued about superficialities like furniture while avoiding their real problems.
argue about superficialities (collocation with argue about)
Brandon said the magazine focused on superficialities such as fashion and celebrity gossip.
focused on superficialities such as [examples]
Many job interviews get stuck on superficialities and never ask about actual skills.
Nikhil felt the conversation stayed at the level of superficialities, never touching on anything important.
The manager ended the meeting because it wasted time on superficialities.
- trivialities
Emphasizes unimportance more than surface-level quality; overlaps heavily with this sense.
- appearances
Refers more narrowly to how things look rather than surface details in general.
- surface details
Literal paraphrase — things that are obvious or visible without deeper investigation.
- essentials
The core or fundamental aspects that truly matter.
- fundamentals
The basic principles or key facts that should be the focus.
文法句型
superficialities + like + [examples]
get stuck on + superficialities
waste time on + superficialities
用法筆記
Always appears in the plural. Refers to specific concrete items (remarks, details, topics), not the abstract quality. Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on what people talk about or pay attention to, not on how deeply they think.