tip of the iceberg

ADJECTIVE

one-dimensional

Synonyms

STRONGEST

peripheral shallow sketchy warped

WEAK

apparent casual cosmetic cursory depthless desultory empty evident exterior external flash flimsy frivolous general glib half-baked hasty hurried ignorant inattentive lightweight nodding on the surface ostensible outward partial passing perfunctory quick-fix seeming shoal silly skin-deep slapdash slight smattery summary surface trivial uncritical

ADJECTIVE

superficial

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cursory frivolous one-dimensional perfunctory silly sketchy slight trivial

WEAK

apparent casual cosmetic depthless desultory empty evident exterior external flash flimsy general glib half-baked hasty hurried ignorant inattentive lightweight nodding on the surface ostensible outward partial passing peripheral quick-fix seeming shallow shoal skin-deep slapdash smattery summary surface uncritical warped

Antonyms

STRONGEST

complete important mature sensible serious significant thoughtful wise

WEAK

analytical careful deep detailed genuine thorough

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.

According to several former and current Wall Streeters, that rule is just the tip of the iceberg.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

She says she thinks this is just "the tip of the iceberg" and could get much worse.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

The twist is the headline-generator, sure, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

These lawsuits are the tip of the iceberg.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The rat she brought to school was only the tip of the iceberg.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli