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Specious vs Hollow - What's the difference?

specious | hollow |

As adjectives the difference between specious and hollow

is that specious is seemingly well-reasoned or factual, but actually fallacious or insincere; strongly held but false while hollow is (of something solid) having an empty space or cavity inside.

As a adverb hollow is

(colloquial) completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.

As a noun hollow is

a small valley between mountains.

As a verb hollow is

to make a hole in something; to excavate (transitive) or hollow can be to urge or call by shouting; to hollo.

As a interjection hollow is

(hollo).

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

    *

    hollow

    English

    Alternative forms

    * holler

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) holw, holh, from (etyl) . More at cave.

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (of something solid) Having an empty space or cavity inside.
    • a hollow''' tree; a '''hollow sphere
  • (of a sound) Distant]], eerie; echoing, [[reverberate, reverberating, as if in a hollow space; dull, muffled; often low-pitched.
    • a hollow moan
    (Dryden)
  • (figuratively) Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless.
    • a hollow victory
  • (figuratively) Insincere, devoid of validity; specious.
    • a hollow promise
  • Depressed; concave; gaunt; sunken.
  • * Shakespeare
    • With hollow eye and wrinkled brow.
    Derived terms
    * hollow leg

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (colloquial) Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow.

    • Etymology 2

    (etyl) holow, earlier holgh, from (etyl) . See above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small valley between mountains; a low spot surrounded by elevations.
  • * Prior
    • Forests grew upon the barren hollows .
  • * Tennyson
    • I hate the dreadful hollow behind the little wood.
    He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies.
  • A sunken area or unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial.
    • the hollow of the hand or of a tree
  • (US) A sunken area.
  • (figuratively) A feeling of emptiness.
    • a hollow in the pit of one's stomach

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to make a hole in something; to excavate (transitive)

    • Etymology 3

    Compare holler.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To urge or call by shouting; to hollo.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • He has hollowed the hounds.

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
    • (Webster 1913)