Surface — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈsər-fəs/ sur·face

Meaning & Definition of Surface

Surface (noun)

  1. the exterior or upper boundary of an object or body
  2. a plane or curved two-dimensional locus of points (such as the boundary of a three-dimensional region)
  3. the external or superficial aspect of something

Surface (adjective)

  1. of, located on, or designed for use at the surface of something
  2. situated, transported, or employed on the surface of the earth
  3. appearing to be such on the surface only, superficial

Surface (verb)

  1. to give a surface to
  2. to plane or make smooth
  3. to apply the surface layer to

Surface (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an outer part or layer

    "the surface of just about everything in the kitchen was covered with soot after we put the grease fire out"

    similar: exterior, face, outside, shell, skin, veneer
    related: facade, front, top, cover, covering, facing, appearance, disguise, guise, mask, semblance, show
    opposite: inside, interior

Surface (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come to one's attention especially gradually or unexpectedly

    "no information regarding the stolen car has surfaced since the police found it abandoned on a country road"

    similar: arise, come up, crop (up), emerge, materialize, spring (up)
    related: appear, come out, show up, turn up, chance, come, come about, fall out, go (on), go off, hap, happen, occur, pass, transpire, interfere, interpose, intervene, intrude

  2. to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below

    "a submarine surfaced on the starboard side of the aircraft carrier"

    similar: break, broach
    related: emerge, rise
    near: dive, drop, drown, founder, plunge, sink, submerge, submerse

Surface (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lying on or affecting only the outer layer of something

    "a surface stain on the wood that can easily be removed with a mild detergent"

    similar: skin-deep, superficial
    related: depthless, shallow, shoal, two-dimensional, external
    near: deep, deep-seated

Related Entry: On the surface (phrase)

On the surface is a different word from Surface. The synonyms below are for on the surface, not for surface.

  1. to all outward appearances

    "On the surface they seem to have a fairytale marriage, but those close to them know it isn't so simple."

    similar: apparently, evidently, ostensibly, ostensively, presumably, putatively, seemingly, supposedly
    related: externally, outwardly, visibly, believably, credibly, assumably, likely, presumedly, probably, conceivably, maybe, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly, professedly, supposably, allegedly, purportedly, reportedly, reputedly, clearly, distinctly, manifestly, obviously, plainly, self-evidently, assuredly, positively, surely
    near: implausibly, impossibly, improbably, incredibly

Related Entry: Scratch (verb)

Scratch is a different word from Surface. The synonyms below are for scratch, not for surface.

  1. to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface

    "scratched his arm on a branch"

    similar: abrade, graze, scrape, scuff
    related: bark, skin, chafe, fret, gall, claw, cut, lacerate, bruise, contuse
    near: polish, smooth, soften, wax

  2. to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface

    "the branches of the willow tree scratch against the windowpane whenever the wind blows"

    similar: grate, grind, rasp, scrape
    related: rub, groan, whine
    near: glide, skate, slide

  3. to write or draw hastily or carelessly

    "scratched a quick doodle in the margins"

    similar: scrawl, scribble, squiggle
    related: doodle, jot (down), ink, inscribe, letter, pen, pencil, print, write

Related Entry: Scratch (out) (verb)

Scratch (out) is a different word from Surface. The synonyms below are for scratch (out), not for surface.

  1. to compose and set down on paper the words of

    "scratched out a poem for his beloved wife on the home front"

    similar: author, pen, scribble, write
    related: cast, compose, craft, draft, draw up, formulate, frame, prepare, recast, redraft, revise, rewrite, letter, print, type, typewrite, record, take down, transcribe, autograph, pencil (in), register, sign, couch, express, phrase, put, word

  2. to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it

    "scratched out the old phone number and wrote in the new one"

    similar: blue-pencil, cancel, cross (out), dele, delete, edit (out), elide, kill, strike (out), stroke (out), x (out)
    related: blot out, efface, eradicate, erase, expunge, obliterate, root (out), rub out, wipe out, bleep, blip, clip, cut, excise, remove, bowdlerize, censor, clean (up), expurgate, launder, redact, red-pencil, abbreviate, crop, shorten, black out, repress, silence, suppress

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Surface

The most common words with a similar meaning to Surface:

exterior, face, outside, shell, skin, veneer, arise, come up, crop (up), emerge, materialize, spring (up), break, broach, skin-deep, superficial

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Surface

Words with the opposite meaning of Surface:

inside, interior

Related Words for Surface

facade, front, top, cover, covering, facing, appearance, disguise, guise, mask, semblance, show, appear, come out, show up, turn up, chance, come, come about, fall out, go (on), go off, hap, happen, occur, pass, transpire, interfere, interpose, intervene

Near Antonyms of Surface

dive, drop, drown, founder, plunge, sink, submerge, submerse, deep, deep-seated

Word Forms of Surface

Inflections: surfaced, surfacing

Derived words: surfacer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Surface

French, from Middle French, from sur- + face face, from Old French face

First known use: circa 1600

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Surface

Words & Phrases Containing Surface

surface-active, surface of revolution, surface-ripened, surface structure, surface tension, surface-to-air, surface wave

Frequently Asked Questions about Surface

What does "Surface" mean?

"Surface" means the exterior or upper boundary of an object or body. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: the exterior or upper boundary of an object or body. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Surface"?

Other words for "Surface" include exterior, face, outside, shell, skin, veneer, arise and come up. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Surface" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Surface"?

There are 53 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Surface". Common alternatives include exterior, face, outside, shell, skin, veneer, arise, come up, crop (up) and emerge.

What is the opposite of "Surface"?

Antonyms of "Surface" include inside and interior. Near antonyms include dive, drop, drown and founder.

How do you use "Surface" in a sentence?

Examples of "Surface" in a sentence: "the surface of just about everything in the kitchen was covered with soot after we put the grease fire out"; "no information regarding the stolen car has surfaced since the police found it abandoned on a country road"; "a submarine surfaced on the starboard side of the aircraft carrier".

Is "Surface" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Surface" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Surface" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Surface" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Surface"?

"Surface" is pronounced /ˈsər-fəs/ and divided into syllables as sur·face.