Well-read · Arguing & persuading
Specious: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Specious adjective. Seeming reasonable or true at first glance but actually wrong.
How to say it
SPEE-shus/ˈspiːʃəs/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (SPEE).
Specious in a sentence
His specious argument that the bins were 'basically recycling' didn't fool the council.
The figures look impressive, but the comparison behind them is specious.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- misleading
- plausible
- deceptive
- hollow
Opposite:
- valid
- sound
- genuine
Where specious comes from
From Latin speciosus, fair or good-looking, from species, appearance.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The figures look impressive, but the comparison behind them is _____.
- specious
- tendentious
- contentious
Show the answer
specious: The figures look impressive, but the comparison behind them is specious.