Meaning
Specious means something that appears to be true, correct, or attractive, but is actually false, misleading, or deceptive. It describes arguments, reasoning, or appearances that seem convincing on the surface but lack real substance or truth.
Grammar and Usage
- Part of speech: Adjective
- Usage pattern:
specious argument,specious reasoning,specious claim, etc. - Typically used to criticize ideas, excuses, or logic that sound good but are not valid or genuine.
Example structure:
- a specious argument that hides the truth
- Her explanation sounded reasonable, but it was specious.
Common Phrases
- specious reasoning – deceptive or flawed logic that sounds convincing
- specious claim – a statement that seems true but is false
- specious excuse – a false justification that seems reasonable
- specious argument – persuasive but deceptive reasoning
Collocations
- make a specious claim
- give a specious reason
- present a specious argument
- appear specious
- sound specious
Examples
- The politician gave a specious argument to justify the tax increase.
- His apology sounded sincere, but it was specious.
- Don’t be fooled by specious reasoning—the facts tell a different story.
- The company’s claim of “eco-friendly products” turned out to be specious.
- She dismissed his specious excuse for missing the meeting.
- The plan looks good at first glance, but it’s based on specious logic.
- They tried to defend their actions with specious justifications.
- The lawyer exposed the witness’s specious testimony.
- His confidence gave his specious claim an air of credibility.
- The proposal was specious, designed to mislead rather than inform.
Synonyms or Related
- misleading
- deceptive
- false
- hollow
- fallacious
- superficial
- plausible (when used ironically)
Antonym
- genuine
- valid
- truthful
- sound
- authentic