superfluous
English · Thesaurus
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superfluous
- /suːˈpɜːflu.əs/ UK
- /sjʊˈpɜːflu.əs/ UK
- /suˈpɝflu.əs/ Canada, US
- /səˈpɜːflu.əs/ Australia
Where it comes from
From Middle English superfluous, from Latin superfluus (“superfluous”) + -ous, from superfluō (“overflow”), from super (“above, more than, over”) + fluō (“flow”). Compare mellifluous and fluid, also from Latin. Literally corresponds to overflow, which is from Germanic, rather than Latin.
adjective more superfluous · most superfluous
-
In excess of what is required or sufficient.
With a full rain suit, carrying an umbrella may be superfluous.
Similar: de trop, dispensible, excessive, excrescent, extra, extraneous, extravagant, pleonastic, supernumerary, surplus, unnecessary, needless
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: extra, excess, surplus, redundant, supererogatory, wasted, spare, pointless, worthless, otiose, unneeded, unnecessary, supernumerary, undue, excessive, vain
Translations
Talk about this word "superfluous." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/superfluous. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. superfluous. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/superfluous "superfluous." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/superfluous.Cite this
@misc{superfluous_2026,
title = {superfluous},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/superfluous},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
