surface

noun
UK: /ˈsɜːfɪs/
US: /ˈsɜːrfɪs/

  1. The outside or top layer of something.

    1. The table surface is smooth and clean now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The surface of the moon is covered in craters and dust. [ ] [ ]

  2. The uppermost layer of land or water.

    1. The boat floated gently on the water's surface. [ ] [ ]
    2. Divers explore the ocean surface looking for marine life. [ ] [ ]

  3. The apparent aspect of something, often hiding a deeper reality.

    1. On the surface, they seem happy, but inside they're sad. [ ] [ ]
    2. The political tension is just below the surface of society. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

skin face exterior outside top veneer cover coating
surface verb

  1. To rise to the surface of water or another liquid.

    1. The submarine surfaced after its mission. [ ] [ ]
    2. After diving deep, the whale surfaced to breathe fresh air. [ ] [ ]

  2. To become known or apparent after being hidden or not obvious.

    1. New details about the crime surfaced this morning. [ ] [ ]
    2. Evidence of his involvement began to surface after investigation. [ ] [ ]

  3. To apply a surface or coating to something.

    1. They surfaced the road with fresh asphalt. [ ] [ ]
    2. The old tennis court needs to be surfaced again this year. [ ] [ ]
surface adjective

  1. Located on or relating to the surface.

    1. We examined the surface damage carefully. [ ] [ ]
    2. The surface features of the rock showed signs of erosion. [ ] [ ]

  2. Apparent rather than real or genuine.

    1. Their agreement was only a surface reconciliation. [ ] [ ]
    2. The surface differences hid deeper, more meaningful agreements. [ ] [ ]
surface adverb

  1. Above ground.

    1. The surface mine damaged the surrounding area. [ ] [ ]
    2. Surface transportation depends on weather conditions sometimes. [ ] [ ]
surface intransitive-verb

  1. Appear or become known.

    1. The truth about what happened will surface eventually. [ ] [ ]
    2. After a long search, the missing document finally surfaced today. [ ] [ ]
surface transitive-verb

  1. Apply a layer or coating to something

    1. The company will surface the road during the summer. [ ] [ ]
    2. They plan to surface the parking lot for the upcoming event. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "surface" in English means: The outside or top layer of something., The uppermost layer of land or water., The apparent aspect of something, often hiding a deeper reality..

The phonetic transcription of "surface" is /ˈsɜːfɪs/ in British English and /ˈsɜːrfɪs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "surface": skin, face, exterior, outside, top, veneer, cover, coating.

Example usage of "surface": "The table surface is smooth and clean now.". More examples on the page.