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Specious vs Futile - What's the difference?

specious | futile | Related terms |

Specious is a related term of futile.


As adjectives the difference between specious and futile

is that specious is seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious while futile is incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.

specious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious.
  • This idea that we must see through what we have started is specious , however good it may sound.
  • *1776 , Thomas Paine,
  • *:I have frequently amused myself both in public and private companies, with silently remarking, the specious errors of those who speak without reflecting.
  • Having an attractive appearance intended to generate a favorable response; deceptively attractive.
  • (obsolete) Beautiful, pleasing to look at.
  • Synonyms

    * fallacious, insincere * (with appearance intended to generate a favorable response) meretricious

    Derived terms

    * speciosity * speciously * speciousness

    Anagrams

    *

    futile

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 15, author=Marc Higginson, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Tottenham , passage=Goals from Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend, Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane sealed the win, but Rubin Kazan's 1-1 draw against PAOK Salonika rendered Spurs' efforts futile .}}

    Synonyms

    * ineffectual * unavailing * vain * idle * fruitless * See also

    Antonyms

    * effectual * effective