Specious

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈspiːʃəs/

Definitions

1. Appearing to be true or valid on the surface but actually misleading or false upon closer examination
2. Seemingly plausible or convincing at first glance yet fundamentally deceptive or unsound when scrutinized
3. Having an attractive surface appeal that masks underlying falsehood or logical invalidity

Etymology: Latin "speciosus" meant "good-looking" or "showy," and it came from "species," which referred to outward appearance or look before it came to mean a kind of thing. The Latin word was built on the same root as "spectacle" and "speculate," all tied to seeing. That visual sense is the key to the modern meaning: something that looks good on the surface. English took the word through Anglo-Norman and Middle French, and it has been recorded in Middle English. For a long time it kept the plain sense of attractive or pleasing in appearance. The shift to "deceptively attractive" came from the idea that a good appearance can hide a bad reality. An argument that sounds convincing but is actually flawed is "specious," which is why the word is most often used of reasoning, claims, and excuses.

Synonyms: deceptive, misleading, fallacious, illusory, sham

Antonyms: genuine, truthful, valid, honest, real