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Does ostensible/specious make sense in this sentence?

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5

2

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

Does the word "ostensible" or "specious" fit in here (if so, which one better)? Currently I am using the word "superficial," but I'm not sure if it fits as well as the alternatives. I am open to other words as well.

single-word-requests

share|improve this question

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

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Harry TongHarry Tong

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Harry Tong is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Specious" best suits this context.
  
  – Justin
  17 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Or pretentious - attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed. Source - english.oxforddictionaries.com/pretentious
  
  – Justin
  17 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Ostensible doesn't fit at all.
  
  – nnnnnn
  17 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  You wouldn't say 'ostensible' because the society is real enough. Perhaps 'disingenous' would work.
  
  – S Conroy
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

5

2

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

Does the word "ostensible" or "specious" fit in here (if so, which one better)? Currently I am using the word "superficial," but I'm not sure if it fits as well as the alternatives. I am open to other words as well.

single-word-requests

share|improve this question

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

64277 silver badges1111 bronze badges

asked 17 hours ago

Harry TongHarry Tong

3533 bronze badges

New contributor

Harry Tong is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Specious" best suits this context.
  
  – Justin
  17 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Or pretentious - attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed. Source - english.oxforddictionaries.com/pretentious
  
  – Justin
  17 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Ostensible doesn't fit at all.
  
  – nnnnnn
  17 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  You wouldn't say 'ostensible' because the society is real enough. Perhaps 'disingenous' would work.
  
  – S Conroy
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

Does the word "ostensible" or "specious" fit in here (if so, which one better)? Currently I am using the word "superficial," but I'm not sure if it fits as well as the alternatives. I am open to other words as well.

single-word-requests

share|improve this question

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

64277 silver badges1111 bronze badges

asked 17 hours ago

Harry TongHarry Tong

3533 bronze badges

New contributor

Harry Tong is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

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asked 17 hours ago

Harry TongHarry Tong

3533 bronze badges

New contributor

Harry Tong is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

64277 silver badges1111 bronze badges

asked 17 hours ago

Harry TongHarry Tong

3533 bronze badges

New contributor

Harry Tong is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

64277 silver badges1111 bronze badges

edited 5 hours ago

jwodder

64277 silver badges1111 bronze badges

asked 17 hours ago

Harry TongHarry Tong

3533 bronze badges

New contributor

Harry Tong is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 17 hours ago

Harry TongHarry Tong

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2 Answers
2

active

oldest

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6

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

---

Personally I am a cynic so I would say

more important to be wary in an increasingly deceitful society

But for me any of the following would work; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. Perhaps "perfidious" is the most accurate

Ostensible or specious seem a bit vague, but that's my opinion, superficial sounds the best of the three. However it's your sentence you know what you want you want to say.

---

deceit noun Cambridge English Dictionary (an act of) keeping the truth hidden, especially to get an advantage:

The story is about theft, fraud, and deceit on an incredible scale.
When the newspapers published the full story, all his earlier deceits were revealed.

perfidious adjective, literary unable to be trusted, or showing no loyalty:

She described the new criminal bill as a perfidious attack on democracy.

share|improve this answer

edited 14 hours ago

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

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add a comment | 

3

I agree with Brad that "superficial" looks like the best of the three, and "deceitful" may work better than any (depending what you wanted to convey).

"An ostensible society" or "a specious society" would have me wondering - I would read them as applying to the concept of society as a whole (that it wasn't really a society), while I initially read your question as a comment on an increasing number [proportion] of the members of society who behave falsely.

If I'm along the right lines "duplicitous" could work as a variation on "deceitful".

share|improve this answer

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

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6

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

---

Personally I am a cynic so I would say

more important to be wary in an increasingly deceitful society

But for me any of the following would work; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. Perhaps "perfidious" is the most accurate

Ostensible or specious seem a bit vague, but that's my opinion, superficial sounds the best of the three. However it's your sentence you know what you want you want to say.

---

deceit noun Cambridge English Dictionary (an act of) keeping the truth hidden, especially to get an advantage:

The story is about theft, fraud, and deceit on an incredible scale.
When the newspapers published the full story, all his earlier deceits were revealed.

perfidious adjective, literary unable to be trusted, or showing no loyalty:

She described the new criminal bill as a perfidious attack on democracy.

share|improve this answer

edited 14 hours ago

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

74322 silver badges1111 bronze badges

add a comment | 

6

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

---

Personally I am a cynic so I would say

more important to be wary in an increasingly deceitful society

But for me any of the following would work; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. Perhaps "perfidious" is the most accurate

Ostensible or specious seem a bit vague, but that's my opinion, superficial sounds the best of the three. However it's your sentence you know what you want you want to say.

---

deceit noun Cambridge English Dictionary (an act of) keeping the truth hidden, especially to get an advantage:

The story is about theft, fraud, and deceit on an incredible scale.
When the newspapers published the full story, all his earlier deceits were revealed.

perfidious adjective, literary unable to be trusted, or showing no loyalty:

She described the new criminal bill as a perfidious attack on democracy.

share|improve this answer

edited 14 hours ago

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

74322 silver badges1111 bronze badges

add a comment | 

I'm trying to say people must be more wary in a society more and more false. That is more people and things are not what they say they are - or appear to be.

The sentence is:

... more important to be wary in an increasingly ___ society.

---

Personally I am a cynic so I would say

more important to be wary in an increasingly deceitful society

But for me any of the following would work; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. Perhaps "perfidious" is the most accurate

Ostensible or specious seem a bit vague, but that's my opinion, superficial sounds the best of the three. However it's your sentence you know what you want you want to say.

---

deceit noun Cambridge English Dictionary (an act of) keeping the truth hidden, especially to get an advantage:

The story is about theft, fraud, and deceit on an incredible scale.
When the newspapers published the full story, all his earlier deceits were revealed.

perfidious adjective, literary unable to be trusted, or showing no loyalty:

She described the new criminal bill as a perfidious attack on democracy.

share|improve this answer

edited 14 hours ago

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

74322 silver badges1111 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 14 hours ago

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

74322 silver badges1111 bronze badges

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

74322 silver badges1111 bronze badges

answered 15 hours ago

BradBrad

74322 silver badges1111 bronze badges

3

I agree with Brad that "superficial" looks like the best of the three, and "deceitful" may work better than any (depending what you wanted to convey).

"An ostensible society" or "a specious society" would have me wondering - I would read them as applying to the concept of society as a whole (that it wasn't really a society), while I initially read your question as a comment on an increasing number [proportion] of the members of society who behave falsely.

If I'm along the right lines "duplicitous" could work as a variation on "deceitful".

share|improve this answer

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

79022 silver badges88 bronze badges

add a comment | 

3

I agree with Brad that "superficial" looks like the best of the three, and "deceitful" may work better than any (depending what you wanted to convey).

"An ostensible society" or "a specious society" would have me wondering - I would read them as applying to the concept of society as a whole (that it wasn't really a society), while I initially read your question as a comment on an increasing number [proportion] of the members of society who behave falsely.

If I'm along the right lines "duplicitous" could work as a variation on "deceitful".

share|improve this answer

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

79022 silver badges88 bronze badges

add a comment | 

I agree with Brad that "superficial" looks like the best of the three, and "deceitful" may work better than any (depending what you wanted to convey).

"An ostensible society" or "a specious society" would have me wondering - I would read them as applying to the concept of society as a whole (that it wasn't really a society), while I initially read your question as a comment on an increasing number [proportion] of the members of society who behave falsely.

If I'm along the right lines "duplicitous" could work as a variation on "deceitful".

share|improve this answer

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

79022 silver badges88 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

79022 silver badges88 bronze badges

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

79022 silver badges88 bronze badges

answered 12 hours ago

ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHereItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere

79022 silver badges88 bronze badges