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

A best picture Oscar for “Sinners” is damned near superfluous.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 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

The recordings were just as funny and weird and interesting as I remembered them; they didn’t seem dated, they didn’t seem superfluous, they weren’t something I was going to grow out of.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2025

My two fifteen-minute breaks, which seemed almost superfluous on the 10:00-6:00 shift, now become a matter of urgent calculation.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Vocabulary lists containing superfluous

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