different between indifferent vs superficial
indifferent
English
Etymology
From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?n?d?f.??nt/, /?n?d?f.?.??nt/
- Hyphenation: in?dif?fer?ent
Adjective
indifferent (comparative more indifferent, superlative most indifferent)
- Not caring or concerned; uninterested, apathetic.
- 1816, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume 2, Chapter 16,[1]
- “I must not hope to be ever situated as you are, in the midst of every dearest connexion, and therefore I cannot expect that simply growing older should make me indifferent about letters.”
- “Indifferent! Oh! no—I never conceived you could become indifferent. Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.”
- 1933, George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London, Chapter 3,[2]
- When you have a hundred francs in the world you are liable to the most craven panics. When you have only three francs you are quite indifferent; for three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that. You are bored, but you are not afraid.
- 1816, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume 2, Chapter 16,[1]
- Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.
- 1886, Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Chapter 25,[3]
- Donald appeared not to see her at all, and answered her wise little remarks with curtly indifferent monosyllables […]
- 1990, J. M. Coetzee, Age of Iron, London: Secker & Warburg, p. 33,
- ‘Wonderful, Florence,’ I said, producing the ritual phrases: ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.’ But of course I do know. I would sink into the indifferent squalor of old age.
- 1886, Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Chapter 25,[3]
- Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 2, Book 10, Chapter 9, p. 275,[4]
- When Mrs. Honour had made her Report from the Landlord, Sophia, with much Difficulty, procured some indifferent Horses, which brought her to the Inn, where Jones had been confined rather by the Misfortune of meeting with a Surgeon, than by having met with a broken Head.
- 1826, Walter Scott, Woodstock, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable, Volume I, Chapter 3, p. 84,[5]
- […] the state-rooms are unaired, and in indifferent order, since of late years.
- 1965, Muriel Spark, The Mandelbaum Gate, Part 2, p. 252,[6]
- Suddenly Barbara remembered the party where she had first met Ruth Gardnor with her husband. The night of the dinner party. And the cello: it had been an indifferent performance.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 2, Book 10, Chapter 9, p. 275,[4]
- Having no preference or bias, being impartial.
- 1713, Joseph Addison, Cato, a Tragedy, London: J. Tonson, Act V, Scene 1, p. 57,[7]
- […] Let Guilt or Fear
- Disturb Man’s Rest: Cato knows neither of ’em,
- Indiff’rent in his Choice to sleep or die.
- 1933, H. G. Wells, The Shape of Things to Come, Book 3, Part 7,[8]
- The scientific worker aims at knowledge and is quite indifferent whether people like or dislike the knowledge he produces.
- 1713, Joseph Addison, Cato, a Tragedy, London: J. Tonson, Act V, Scene 1, p. 57,[7]
- Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 3,[9]
- […] But I am arm’d,
- And dangers are to me indifferent.
- 1650, Jeremy Taylor, “Of Contentedness” in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living, 8th edition, London: Richard Royston, 1668, Chapter 2, Section 6, p. 118,[10]
- […] every thing in the world is indifferent but sin.
- 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, Boston: Ticknor, Reed & Fields, p. 162,[11]
- His gestures, his gait, his grizzled beard, his slightest and most indifferent acts, the very fashion of his garments, were odious in the clergyman’s sight;
- 1956, Mary Renault, The Last of the Wine, New York: Modern Library, Chapter 28, p. 374,[12]
- We talked of indifferent things, and watched the juggler who was tossing torches in the Stadium, for twilight was falling.
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 3,[9]
- (mechanics) Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
- (obsolete) Not different, matching.
- c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV, Scene 1,[13]
- […] let their heads be sleekly comb’d, their blue coats brush’d and their garters of an indifferent knit
- c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV, Scene 1,[13]
Related terms
- indifference
- indifferency (obsolete)
- indifferentism
- indifferently
Translations
Noun
indifferent (plural indifferents)
- A person who is indifferent or apathetic.
Adverb
indifferent
- (obsolete) To some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very and not at all); moderately, tolerably, fairly.
Usage notes
- Now obsolete, but very common c. 1600-1730.
References
- John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “indifferent”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN
Middle French
Adjective
indifferent m (feminine singular indifferente, masculine plural indifferents, feminine plural indifferentes)
- indifferent; apathetic
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superficial
English
Etymology
From Latin superfici?lis.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /?sup??f???l/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?s(j)u?p??f???l/
- Rhymes: -???l
- Hyphenation: su?per?fi?cial
Adjective
superficial (comparative more superficial, superlative most superficial)
- Of or pertaining to the surface.
- Being near the surface.
- Shallow, lacking substance.
- At face value.
- (rare) Two-dimensional; drawn on a flat surface.
Synonyms
- (of or pertaining to the surface): surficial
Antonyms
- in-depth
- thorough
- (lacking substance): substantive
Derived terms
- superficially
- superficiality
Translations
Noun
superficial (plural superficials)
- (chiefly in plural) A surface detail.
- He always concentrates on the superficials and fails to see the real issue.
Related terms
- superfice (archaic)
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin superfici?lis.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /su.p??.fi.si?al/
- (Central) IPA(key): /su.p?r.fi.si?al/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /su.pe?.fi.si?al/
Adjective
superficial (masculine and feminine plural superficials)
- superficial
Derived terms
- superficialitat
- superficialment
Related terms
- superfície
Further reading
- “superficial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “superficial” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
- “superficial” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “superficial” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Galician
Etymology
From Latin superfici?lis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
superficial m or f (plural superficiais)
- superficial
- surficial; of the surface
Derived terms
- superficialidade
- superficialmente
Related terms
- superficie
Further reading
- “superficial” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
Interlingua
Adjective
superficial (not comparable)
- superficial (pertaining to the surface)
Related terms
- superficie
Portuguese
Etymology
From Latin superfici?lis.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /?su.pe?.fi.si.?aw/
Adjective
superficial m or f (plural superficiais, comparable)
- Shallow, lacking substance.
Derived terms
- superficialidade
- superficialismo
- superficialmente
Related terms
- superfície
Further reading
- “superficial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.
Romanian
Etymology
From French superficiel
Adjective
superficial m or n (feminine singular superficial?, masculine plural superficiali, feminine and neuter plural superficiale)
- shallow (about people)
Declension
Related terms
- superficialitate
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin superfici?lis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Spain) /supe?fi??jal/, [su.pe?.fi??jal]
- IPA(key): (Latin America) /supe?fi?sjal/, [su.pe?.fi?sjal]
Adjective
superficial (plural superficiales)
- superficial
- shallow, lacking substance
Derived terms
Related terms
- superficie
Further reading
- “superficial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
superficial From the web:
- what superficial means
- what superficially polite crossword
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