specious
Americanadjective
-
apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible.
specious arguments.
- Antonyms:
- genuine
-
pleasing to the eye but deceptive.
- Synonyms:
- misleading, false
- Antonyms:
- genuine
-
Obsolete. pleasing to the eye; fair.
adjective
-
apparently correct or true, but actually wrong or false
-
deceptively attractive in appearance
Synonym Usage
See plausible.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of specious
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin speciōsus “fair, good-looking, beautiful,” equivalent to speci(ēs) ( see species) + -ōsus adjective suffix; see -ous
Compare meaning
How does specious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use specious to describe an argument that seems to be good, correct, or logical, but is not so. We live on the earth, therefore the earth must be the center of the universe. This has been proven to be a specious theory of the solar system. Specious is pronounced "SPEE-shuhs." Something that is specious is attractive in a deceptive way, and if you follow the word's etymology, you'll see why. In Middle English, this adjective meant "attractive," from Latin speciōsus, "showy, beautiful," from speciēs, "appearance, kind, sort."
Vocabulary lists containing specious
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Lord of the Flies
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Charges that the Panama Canal Authority is in cahoots with China have always been specious.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026
The “real, factual data” that underpinned Leavitt’s statement was specious at best.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025
“His claims that the investigations surrounding him are specious — the investigations were appropriate,” Kastor added.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2025
As with Twitter, Meta appears to have justified the suspensions on specious grounds, citing the accounts as exposing “private information” even though they merely repost already-public information made available by the Federal Aviation Administration.
From Slate • Oct. 28, 2024
Ralph had been deceived before now by the specious appearance of depth in a beach pool and he approached this one preparing to be disappointed.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
