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surface

/ˈsɜː.fɪs/noun, verb, adjective2 syllables

Surface means: on the surface.

Synonyms for surface19

noun, as in a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight

airfoil, aerofoil, control surface

noun, as in the outermost level of the land or sea

Earth's surface

noun, as in information that has become public

open

verb, as in appear or become visible; make a showing

come on, come out, turn up, show up

verb, as in come to the surface

come up, rise up, rise

verb, as in put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface

coat

adjective, as in on the surface

aboveground, grade-constructed, opencast, opencut

also used for surface

overside, superfice

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of surface

subsurface, overhead

What does surface mean?10

adjective

1

on the surface“surface materials of the moon”

verb

1

appear or become visible; make a showing“She turned up at the funeral”

2

come to the surface

3

put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface“coat the cake with chocolate”

noun

1

a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight

2

the outermost level of the land or sea“earthquakes originate far below the surface”

3

information that has become public“all the reports were out in the open”

4

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary“there is a special cleaner for these surfaces”

5

the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object“they skimmed over the surface of the water”

6

a superficial aspect as opposed to the real nature of something“it was not what it appeared to be on the surface”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Surface in a sentence

  • People, like metal, only shine on the surface.Gulliver
  • Venus has very thick, rapidly spinning clouds which cover its surface.Hybrid
  • Neptune has large, dark circles on its surface which astronomers believe to be storms.Hybrid
  • She looks sweet and innocent, but underneath the surface she’s a tough broad.Tangobango
  • On the surface, it looks perfect to me.shekitten
  • Other measurements included atmospheric pressure at various heights, and temperature, and surface light levels.CM
  • On the surface, he appears to be a decent person.Nuel
  • White glue can be used on any smooth, porous surface.nana2capriccio

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of surface

as a noun

plural
surfaces

as a verb

past tense
surfaced
present participle
surfacing
third-person singular
surfaces
past participle
surfaced