specious

adjective

ˈspē-shəs How to pronounce specious (audio)
Definition of speciousnext
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive a specious argument that really does not stand up under close examination

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of specious His lawyer, John Carman, said federal prosecutors dressed up a mundane paperwork case with specious suggestions that Lu was involved in spying and intelligence gathering. — ABC News, 13 May 2026 The majority, rather than being rattled by a president who had attempted a coup, labored to protect the country from the hypothetical danger of a presidency rendered impotent by specious criminal prosecutions. — Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026 In its opinion, the district court admonished Aston for unhelpful responses, specious arguments, and sloppy portrayals of the statements alleged to be responsive. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2026 There have been all sorts of concerns for a while, including shenanigans around using metrics from SaaS to apply to AI-native companies (that logic is specious at best). — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for specious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specious
  1. misleading
  2. deceptive
  3. false
Adjective
  • That’s misleading, the FTC said, since customers who know how prices are set could take defensive measures, such as using a private browsing session or a virtual private network to mask their browsing history.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • There are plenty of well-meaning people and experts posting content everyday, but both professors noted that even that material may be misleading, inconclusive or overly generalized.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of misleading
Adjective
  • The company alleges trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • And, given his high release point, deceptive delivery and deep repertoire, where batters can’t often make good contact.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • But to build a web of accusations based on false premises and the manipulation of reality in order to attack the Biennale and a film invited to compete is a petty and unacceptable act.
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • China’s aircraft engineers have warned that artificial intelligence could feed false data into military intelligence, potentially distorting the design and operation of advanced weapons.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of false

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specimens
specious
speciousness
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Cite this Entry

“Specious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specious. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of specious for Spanish Speakers

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