spurious — false or fake; not being what it purports to be
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: false or fake; not being what it purports to be
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈspʊriəs/
Example Sentences
- The politician's spurious tears during the speech fooled no one.
- Scientists rejected the spurious data that couldn't be replicated.
- His spurious excuse about being abducted by aliens didn't convince his boss.
spurious
ADJECTIVE[/ˈspʊriəs/]
false or fake; not being what it purports to be
The auction house exposed the spurious painting as a modern forgery.
SPUR(spur) + IOUS(state) — bending like yellow rubber, the golden SPUR(spur) proved to be entirely spurious.
Watching the paint wash away in the rain, the rich collector grew intensely furious because his expensive art was spurious.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin spurius meaning 'illegitimate' or 'of questionable origin,' referring to something not genuine or of dubious parentage. The word entered English in the 16th century, originally describing illegitimate children before broadening to mean false or fake in general.
Breakdown
spurious comes directly from Latin spurius (false, illegitimate) + -ous (adjective suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by') = spurious (characterized by being false or fake)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The politician's spurious tears during the speech fooled no one.”
“Scientists rejected the spurious data that couldn't be replicated.”
“His spurious excuse about being abducted by aliens didn't convince his boss.”
“The art expert immediately spotted the spurious Picasso painting.”
📚Related Words
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