English vocabulary · C1
Spurious
/ˈspjʊr.i.əs/ · adj.
It means false, but looking real. Something spurious seems true at first, but it is not.
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Example sentences
- The report was spurious, built on invented data.
- His spurious claim fell apart under simple questioning.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- spurius — false (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- FALSE — not true (Direct & Clear)
- FAKE — artificial imitation (Object or Person)
- BOGUS — fraudulent, not real (Informal & Blunt)
Similar words
- false
- fake
- bogus
Lesson notes
Spurious. It means false, but looking real. Something spurious seems true at first, but it is not.
Similar words are false, fake, and bogus. Use spurious when something looks real but the facts behind it are wrong.
The report was spurious, built on invented data. His spurious claim fell apart under simple questioning.
From Latin. Spurius means false. A thing that looks real but is not real at all. That is spurious.