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Specious: meaning, definitions and examples

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specious

 

[ ˈspiːʃəs ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

appearance

Seemingly true or genuine but actually false; misleading in appearance.

Synonyms

deceptive, fallacious, false, misleading

Examples of usage

  • It was a specious argument that failed to convince anyone.
  • The specious promises of the politician turned out to be empty.
  • Don't be fooled by her specious smile.
Context #2 | Adjective

superficially plausible

Superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

Synonyms

deceptive, seemingly valid, superficially plausible

Examples of usage

  • His specious reasoning was quickly exposed as flawed.
  • The specious theory was debunked by experts.

Translations

Translations of the word "specious" in other languages:

🇵🇹 especioso

🇮🇳 भ्रामक

🇩🇪 trügerisch

🇮🇩 menyesatkan

🇺🇦 оманливий

🇵🇱 zwodniczy

🇯🇵 もっともらしい

🇫🇷 spécieux

🇪🇸 especioso

🇹🇷 aldatıcı

🇰🇷 겉만 번지르르한

🇸🇦 خادع

🇨🇿 klamavý

🇸🇰 klamlivý

🇨🇳 华而不实的

🇸🇮 zavajajoč

🇮🇸 villandi

🇰🇿 алдаушы

🇬🇪 მატყუარა

🇦🇿 aldadıcı

🇲🇽 especioso

Etymology

The word 'specious' originated from the Latin word 'speciosus', meaning beautiful or showy. Over time, its meaning evolved to describe something that appears true or genuine but is actually false or misleading. The term has been used in English literature since the 17th century, often in the context of exposing deceptive arguments or appearances.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #18,761, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.