FALLACIOUS Synonyms: 187 Similar and Opposite Words

fallacious

adjective

fə-ˈlā-shəs

Definition of fallacious

as in unreasonable

not using or following good reasoning it's fallacious to say that something must exist because science hasn't proven its nonexistence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in misleading

tending or having power to deceive consumers who harbor the fallacious belief that credit-card spending will never catch up with them

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fallacious There is a widespread but fallacious perception that India's tariffs are inordinately high. — Mohan Kumar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Aug. 2025 The same economists who believe in the same fallacious economic notions? — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 That will in turn spread on social media, which often plays a disproportional role in boosting these disinformation efforts by providing nearly unlimited platforms for unfiltered content and fallacious and deceptive claims. — Peter Suciu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 There might be a bigger market for these products, and more consumers might be immune to the fallacious argument that they’re overly processed, if more people were persuaded of the ills of factory farming. — Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 See All Example Sentences for fallacious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacious

Adjective

On the surface, paying as low as 24 cents for an hour of streaming game time doesn’t sound completely unreasonable.

— Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
If Putin rejects the framework — or, more likely, demands unreasonable changes — then the world will at least know who blocked the fledgling peace effort.

— David Ignatius, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of unreasonable

Adjective

Meta argued the state failed to prove misleading statements about privacy and that content moderation actually harmed New Mexicans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Meta argued that New Mexico failed to prove that the tech giant's executives made misleading statements about privacy and that its content moderation practices harmed state residents.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of misleading

Adjective

The industrial revolutions of the past produced enormous value alongside bankruptcies, dislocations, and periods of irrational exuberance.

— Brian Solis, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
If anyone can reconstruct Apéry’s reasoning, the odd values of zeta may finally be proven irrational.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of irrational

Adjective

But several Theranos staffers and journalists say Holmes was frequently deceptive and would lie repeatedly, especially when confronted with facts.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
California and Hawaii, for example, are two states that have banned sharing deceptive AI content about candidates in the months around an election.

— Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceptive

Adjective

But in each event—in the living act, the undoubted deed—there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Roosevelt surely understood that nameless, unreasoning, unjustified fear cannot be eradicated.

— New York Times, New York Times, 9 June 2026

Definition of unreasoning

Adjective

Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
The false polling data from Wedgewood Polls consistently favored Democrats, particularly progressive candidates.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of false

Adjective

Finally, the article argues that the federal lawsuit threatens state control over election administration and could fuel further claims that election results are illegitimate.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
An adult child can claim authority over the meaning of a life without proving that everything inherited is therefore illegitimate.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of illegitimate

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“Fallacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacious. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fallacious

adjective

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