Definitions

superfluous

[soo-pur-floo-uhs] / sʊˈpɜr flu əs /

ADJECTIVE

extra, unnecessary

Synonyms

STRONGEST

excessive expendable gratuitous redundant unneeded useless

WEAK

abounding de trop dispensable excess exorbitant extravagant extreme in excess inessential inordinate lavish leftover needless nonessential overflowing overmuch pleonastic profuse remaining residuary spare superabundant supererogatory superfluent supernumerary surplus unasked uncalled-for unrequired unwanted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

reasonable useful

WEAK

important necessary needed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Building another in an area close to the big Chinese military bases on Hainan seems superfluous.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Once again, artificial intelligence was at the center of the selloff, amid worries that software would be made superfluous by Anthropic’s Claude applications.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Italians mastered how to create a food culture built around comfort and family without being superfluous.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

“Everything in the cabin, whether or not it made it into the final movie, was used and touched. There was nothing superfluous, really.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

This was said with a careless, abstracted indifference, which showed that my solicitude was, at least in his opinion, wholly superfluous.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Vocabulary lists containing superfluous

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Grade 11, List 1

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