Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
skin-deep. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
skin-deep, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
skin-deep in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
skin-deep you have here. The definition of the word
skin-deep will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
skin-deep, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Adjective
skin-deep (not comparable)
- (figuratively) Shallow, superficial.
- Antonym: bone-deep
1850 May 1, Thomas Carlyle, “No. V. Stump-Orator.”, in Latter-Day Pamphlets, London: Chapman and Hall, , →OCLC, page 180:Dead enough; to live thenceforth a galvanic life of mere Stump-Oratory; screeching and gibbering, words without wisdom, without veracity, without conviction more than skin-deep.
1878, Robert Louis Stevenson, An Inland Voyage, London: C Kegan Paul & Co., , →OCLC:Would the wicked river drag me down by the heels, indeed? and look so beautiful all the time? Nature’s good-humour was only skin-deep after all.
1902, Joseph Conrad, “The End of the Tether”, in Youth: A Narrative: And Two Other Stories, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and sons, →OCLC:“He calls himself a white man,” answered the Master-Attendant scornfully; “but if so, it’s just skin-deep and no more. I told him that to his face too.”
1919 October, John Galsworthy, chapter 1, in Saint’s Progress, London: William Heinemann, published December 1919, →OCLC, part III, page 242:The painter smiled at once, his bright, skin-deep smile.
2007 January 10, The Independent:Chris Huhne, environment spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said Mr Blair's remarks showed he was "delusional" on climate change and that his environmentalism was only "skin deep".
2010 July 24, Guy Dammann, “Technology fetishism is skin deep”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:What news stories like this really show is that the rampant technology fetishism, which runs like e-wildfire through our i-society, is really only skin-deep.
2020 June 3, George Monbiot, “Britain's claims to being a functioning democracy are only skin deep”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:Britain's claims to being a functioning democracy are only skin deep [title]
Translations