Something specious looks right but is not. A specious argument sounds reasonable, holds together while you listen to it, and yet is false when you check it. The whole force of the word sits in that gap between how it appears and what it is.

Something specious specious的東西 looks right看起來是對的 but is not但其實不是。A specious argument一個specious的論點 sounds reasonable聽起來很有道理, holds together while you listen to it你聽的時候覺得站得住腳, and yet is false when you check it但一查證就發現是錯的。The whole force of the word sits in that gap這個字的力道全都在那個落差裡 between how it appears and what it is在「看起來如何」和「實際上是什麼」之間。

The most common phrases are specious argument, specious reasoning, and specious claim. It is used almost entirely about ideas, arguments, and explanations — not about people and not about objects. You would not call a fake bag specious.

The most common phrases are最常見的搭配是 specious argument specious argument（似是而非的論點）, specious reasoning specious reasoning（似是而非的推理）, and specious claim specious claim（似是而非的說法）。It它 is used almost entirely about ideas, arguments, and explanations幾乎只用在想法、論點、解釋上 — not about people不用在人身上 and not about objects也不用在物品上。You would not call a fake bag specious你不會把一個仿冒包稱作specious。

It is stronger than simply 'wrong'. Calling an argument specious says that it is wrong AND that its wrongness is hidden behind a convincing surface — it is the sort of thing that fools people. Whether the speaker meant to fool anyone is left open, which is part of why writers like it: you can call the argument bad without directly calling the person a liar.

It它 is stronger than simply 'wrong'比單純的「錯」還要強烈。Calling an argument specious說一個論點是specious, says that it is wrong等於在說它不但是錯的 AND that its wrongness is hidden behind a convincing surface而且錯得還藏在一個很有說服力的表面之下 — it is the sort of thing that fools people是那種會騙倒人的東西。Whether the speaker meant to fool anyone is left open說話的人是不是故意想騙人則沒有講死, which is part of why writers like it這也是作者喜歡用這個字的部分原因: you can call the argument bad你可以說論點很糟 without directly calling the person a liar卻不用直接說對方是騙子。

Still, it is a sharp, critical word, and in speech it lands as a serious accusation. This is a formal, written word — you meet it in editorials, philosophy, law, and academic writing, very rarely in conversation.

Still不過, it is a sharp, critical word它仍然是個尖銳、批判性的字, and in speech it lands as a serious accusation講出口聽起來就像是很嚴重的指控。This is a formal, written word這是個正式、書面的字 — you meet it in editorials, philosophy, law, and academic writing你會在社論、哲學、法律、學術寫作裡遇到它, very rarely in conversation在對話裡很少見。

One historical note that makes it easier to remember: the old meaning of specious was simply 'good-looking, pleasing to the eye', from Latin speciosus. Over time the sense of 'only on the surface' took over and the word turned negative. Its ancestor is the Latin idea of look and appearance — which is the whole word in one image.

One historical note that makes it easier to remember有個歷史小知識能幫你記住這個字: the old meaning of specious was simply 'good-looking, pleasing to the eye'specious原本的意思單純是「好看、賞心悅目」, from Latin speciosus來自拉丁文speciosus。Over time隨著時間過去, the sense of 'only on the surface' took over「只是表面上」的意思漸漸取代了原意 and the word turned negative這個字就變成了負面的。Its ancestor is the Latin idea of look and appearance它的祖先是拉丁文裡「外觀、外表」的概念 — which is the whole word in one image這一個畫面就是整個字的核心。