Specious (adj.) – Superficially plausible but actually wrong; misleading in appearance, especially in a deceptive way.
Example: The professor’s argument was specious—eloquently delivered and rich in jargon, yet as insubstantial as a mirage in the desert of critical thought.
Specieux(-se) (adj.) : Qui a l’apparence de la vérité mais qui est trompeur ou fallacieux.
Exemple : Son raisonnement spécieux semblait convaincant au premier abord, mais une analyse plus fine révélait une cascade d’hypothèses douteuses.
image generated by ChatGPT via prompts provided by J.L. Munn (February 2025)
image généré par ChatGPT à partir des invites fournies par J.L. Munn (février 2025)
The original prompt was simply to give me its impression of these words. When asked a follow-up question about the color scheme it chose, ChatGPT offered this explanation:
“Yes, that was my impression—yellow as a lure, a beacon of false warmth masking fragility. There’s something about its brightness that feels almost too inviting in this context, like a gilded mirage.
It’s interesting how colors can shift meaning depending on their use. In another setting, yellow could be joy or clarity, but here, it’s a trick of the light.”