SPECIOUS

gilded, meretricious, specious, glossy

(adjective) based on pretense; deceptively pleasing; “the gilded and perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility”; “meretricious praise”; “a meretricious argument”

specious, spurious

(adjective) plausible but false; “a specious claim”; “spurious inferences”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Adjective

specious (comparative more specious, superlative most specious)

Seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious.

Synonyms: fallacious, insincere

Employing fallacious but deceptively plausible arguments; deceitful.

Having an attractive appearance intended to generate a favorable response; deceptively attractive.

Synonyms: meretricious, pretextual

(obsolete) Beautiful, pleasing to look at.

Anagrams

• cosies up

Source: Wiktionary

---

Spe"cious, a. Etym: [L. speciosusgood-looking, beautiful, specious, fr. species look, show, appearance; cf. F. spécoeux. See Species.]

1. Presenting a pleasing appearance; pleasing in form or look; showy. Some [serpents] specious and beautiful to the eye. Bp. Richardson. The rest, far greater part, Will deem in outward rites and specious forms Religion satisfied. Milton.

2. Apparently right; superficially fair, just, or correct, but not so in reality; appearing well at first view; plausible; as, specious reasoning; a specious argument. Misled for a moment by the specious names of religion, liberty, and property. Macaulay. In consequence of their greater command of specious expression. J. Morley.

Syn.

– Plausible; showy; ostensible; colorable; feasible. See Plausible.

– Spe"xious*ly, adv.

– Spe"cious*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---

Do you know this game?

Wordscapes is a popular word game consistently in the top charts of both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Android version has more than 10 million installs. This guide will help you get more coins in less than two minutes of playing the game. Continue reading Wordscapes: Get More Coins