外見|がいけんgaiken[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounoutward appearance; looks
   その学校がっこうは外見がいけんが刑務所けいむしょに似にている。↗

   The school looks like a prison.

• Synonym外観がいかんNeutralFor buildings and objects, as in 「建物の外観」; 「外見」 is mostly for people but can describe things too, and the two are interchangeable for objects.
• Synonym見かけみかけCasualColloquial for how something looks on the surface, often contrasted with reality, as in 「見かけによらず」; 「外見」 simply states the appearance itself.
• Synonym見た目みためCasualCommon colloquial word for how someone or something looks; largely interchangeable with 「外見」, which is slightly more formal.
• Synonym表面ひょうめんNeutralSurface of an object, or surface appearances as in 「表面上は」; stresses the outer layer rather than looks, while 「外見」 is the outward look of people or things.
• SynonymうわべNeutralOutward surface or show, often with a hint of insincerity, as in 「上辺だけの親切」; 「外見」 is a neutral word with no such negative shade.
• Synonym外面がいめんWrittenRead 「げめん」 for the expression one shows outwardly, 「がいめん」 for an outer surface; 「外見」 is the overall appearance of a person or thing.
• SynonymルックスCasualLoanword for a person's looks, used colloquially when rating faces; 「外見」 also covers dress and physique and can describe things too.
• Synonym外形がいけいWrittenThe outer shape or contour, mostly of objects but also of the body; it involves neither dress nor temperament, where 「外見」 is broader.
• Synonym姿すがたNeutralA figure or silhouette, also someone's appearance, as in 「人の姿が見えない」; it centres on the whole body's form, while 「外見」 is about how one looks.
• Synonym体裁ていさいNeutralKeeping up appearances or saving face before others, as in 「体裁を気にする」, also the format of a text; 「外見」 carries no sense of social face.
• Synonym容姿ようしWrittenWritten word for a person's face and figure, as in 「容姿端麗」, often praising beauty; 「外見」 also covers dress and can describe things.
• Synonym風貌ふうぼうWrittenWritten word for a person's looks and bearing with their individual character, common in description; 「外見」 is the everyday neutral term.
• Synonym態たいNeutralRead 「なり」, it means how one is dressed or turned out, as in 「なりふり構わず」「大きななり」, mostly of people; 「外見」 covers people and things.
• Synonym見てくれみてくれCasualColloquial for looks or front, often implying concern only with surfaces and not substance; 「外見」 is neutral.
• Related見栄えみばえNeutralHow presentable or attractive something looks, as in 「見栄えがいい」; it carries a positive judgement, while 「外見」 is neither good nor bad in itself.
• Related格好かっこうNeutralHow one is dressed or one's posture, also presentability, as in 「格好悪い」; it centres on dress and bearing, while 「外見」 covers the whole outward look.
• Related装いよそおいWrittenElegant written word for dress or attire, also a fresh new look as in 「春の装い」; 「外見」 carries no sense of dressing up.
• Related形かたちNeutralShape or form, also mere formality; extremely common in daily speech but not tied to people's looks, for which 「外見」 is the apter word.
• Related顔つきかおつきNeutralThe face and the expression it shows, as in 「真剣な顔つき」; it is limited to the face, while 「外見」 covers the whole appearance.
• Related身なりみなりNeutralHow one is dressed and groomed, as in 「身なりを整える」; its focus is mainly on clothing, while 「外見」 also takes in looks and physique.
• Related様さまWrittenA state or appearance, as in 「その様は」, in written style; as an honorific after names it has nothing to do with looks and cannot replace 「外見」.
• Related見せ掛けみせかけNeutralA feigned look or false front, as in 「見せ掛けの笑顔」; it implies pretence, which 「外見」 never suggests.
• Related風体ふうていWrittenA person's appearance or dress, often with a shady, dubious nuance, as in 「怪しい風体」; 「外見」 has no such negative colouring.
• Related風采ふうさいWrittenOne's overall bearing and appearance, as in 「風采が上がらない」; it suggests personal air rather than just what is visible, which is all 「外見」 covers.
• Related面構えつらがまえWrittenA fierce, bold cast of the face, as in 「不敵な面構え」; it is only the spirit read in the face, while 「外見」 is the appearance as a whole.
• Antonym内面ないめんNeutralThe inner self, heart or mind, as in 「内面の美しさ」; the direct opposite of 「外見」, what shows on the outside.
• Antonym中身なかみNeutralHere the intended word is 「中身」, contents or substance, the opposite of looks-only 「外見」; written 「当て身」 it is a strike to a vital point in judo.
• Antonym実質じっしつWrittenActual content or essence, as in 「実質的には」; the opposite of the surface that 「外見」 describes.

For people's looks, say 「外見」 or 「見た目」; for a building's exterior, 「外観」. For how someone is dressed, use 「格好」 or 「身なり」, and 「見かけ」 when contrasting looks with reality. Many alternatives are narrower or coloured: 「見栄え」 praises the look, 「上辺」 and 「見てくれ」 hint at show without substance, 「見せ掛け」 at pretence, while 「容姿」「風貌」「風采」 are written words for a person's face and bearing. The reverse of 「外見」 is 「内面」, 「中身」 or 「実質」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 人ひとや物ものを外そとから見みたときの様子ようす。外観がいかん。