specious
Superficially plausible but actually wrong or deceptive
Examples
In a meeting
“That's a specious argument—the logic sounds good but doesn't hold up under scrutiny.”
Over coffee
“His reasoning for skipping the gym was specious at best.”
Why this word
misleading
Specious specifically means superficially plausible but actually wrong, while misleading broadly means causing error
false
Specious emphasizes deceptive appearance of truth or logic, while false simply means untrue without implying convincing facade
deceptive
Specious highlights seeming reasonable while being fallacious, while deceptive broadly covers any form of trickery
Usage tip
Use when identifying arguments that appear valid on the surface but are fundamentally flawed. Implies misleading reasoning.
Etymology
Latin 'speciosus' (beautiful, plausible), from 'species' (appearance)
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Related words
diagnose
To identify the cause or nature of a problem through examination.
fundamental
Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.
extrapolate
Extend known information to predict unknown outcomes
distinguish
To recognize or identify the difference between things
unpack
To analyze and explain something complex in detail
granular
Characterized by a high level of detail