superficial
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 superficial、perfunctory、half-hearted、casual and short-lived
Describes something done without depth, care, or lasting commitment, as though only the surface were being dealt with.
superficial、perfunctory、half-hearted、casual and short-lived
Describes knowledge, work, relationships, or involvement that lacks depth and care and is not meant to be serious or lasting.
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เขาศึกษาเรื่องนี้อย่างฉาบฉวย khǎw sʉ̀ksǎa rʉ̂aŋ níi yàaŋ chàapchǔay He studied the matter only superficially. เขาศึกษาเรื่องนี้อย่างฉาบฉวย details
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อย่าทำงานแบบฉาบฉวย yàa tham ŋaan bɛ̀ɛp chàapchǔay Don't do the work in a careless, perfunctory way. อย่าทำงานแบบฉาบฉวย details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central image is of dealing only with the surface of something, without going deeper. It usually carries a negative judgment. With knowledge or research, it means superficial. With work or handling a problem, it suggests a careless or perfunctory approach. With relationships or involvement, it suggests something casual, short-lived, and lacking genuine commitment. These uses share the same underlying idea: insufficient depth or seriousness. It commonly appears as แบบฉาบฉวย or directly after a noun, and as อย่างฉาบฉวย or แบบฉาบฉวย when describing how an action is performed.
Usage
Used to criticize research or learning that lacks depth, work or problem-solving done without sufficient care, and relationships or participation that lack serious or lasting commitment. It occurs in everyday speech as well as workplace, educational, journalistic, and critical writing.
Caution
This is not a neutral word for something brief or temporary. It normally should not describe work that is quick but still careful, and applying it to someone's work or relationships sounds critical. Use ชั่วคราว when you simply mean temporary without implying shallowness or lack of commitment.
Differences from similar words
1 superficial synonyms
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ผิวเผิน focuses on knowledge, understanding, or observation being shallow and limited to the surface. ฉาบฉวย can additionally criticize careless work or involvement that is casual and short-lived.
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ลวกๆ is a conversational expression for doing something hastily and carelessly, especially a task. ฉาบฉวย has a broader range and can also describe shallow knowledge or a relationship lacking lasting commitment.