sophism

noun
UK: /ˈsɒfɪzəm/
US: /ˈsɑːfɪzəm/

  1. A clever but false argument used to deceive someone.

    1. That's a sophism to trick people.
    2. The politician's speech was full of sophism designed to mislead the public about the true state of the economy.

  2. A subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.

    1. His argument is a mere sophism.
    2. The lawyer skillfully employed a sophism to cast doubt on the witness's credibility during the cross-examination.

Synonyms

fallacy deception quibble sophistry casuistry subtlety trickery artifice delusion error misconception illusion hoax ruse stratagem wile scheme ploy dodge evasion pretext cloak mask guise semblance appearance show affectation posture pretense sham imposture deceit fraud guile cunning craft ingenuity intelligence acumen sagacity wisdom insight understanding knowledge learning erudition scholarship culture refinement taste elegance grace style flair panache aplomb assurance confidence self-possession composure equanimity serenity tranquility peace calm quiet silence void nothingness nonexistence nihility privation absence lack want deficiency shortage scarcity paucity dearth insufficiency inadequacy imperfection flaw blemish defect fault weakness frailty infirmity ailing sick diseased unwell indisposed afflicted suffering wretched miserable unhappy sad dejected downcast depressed despondent disconsolate forlorn bleak grim somber dismal dreary cheerless lifeless inert passive inactive stagnant dormant latent potential virtual imaginary fanciful visionary utopian idealistic impractical unrealistic fantastic grotesque bizarre strange odd peculiar unusual abnormal anomalous irregular eccentric singular unique rare uncommon scarce limited few meager paltry trifling insignificant trivial petty minor secondary subsidiary auxiliary ancillary supplementary accessory incidental contingent conditional provisional tentative subject liable prone apt likely probable possible feasible viable tenable defensible justifiable pardonable venial mortal fatal lethal deadly destructive harmful injurious detrimental deleterious noxious poisonous toxic virulent malignant baneful ominous portentous ill-fated damned cursed accursed unholy profane sacrilegious impious irreligious agnostic skeptical dubious uncertain unsure insecure anxious worried concerned apprehensive fearful timid cowardly pusillanimous craven lily-livered yellow-bellied spineless weak-kneed flaccid limp pendulous flabby soft tender delicate fragile brittle friable rotten putrid rancid contaminated infected tainted adulterated diluted thin attenuated rarefied subtle fine refined polished shining bright radiant luminous resplendent glorious splendid magnificent grand stately imposing dignified noble virtuous righteous upright honest honorable sincere genuine authentic real true veritable indubitable unquestionable incontrovertible irrefutable unimpeachable unassailable invincible unconquerable impregnable invulnerable impervious resistant immune safe secure unharmed untouched unscathed intact whole complete perfect flawless unblemished immaculate spotless pristine unspoiled undisturbed untroubled unruffled unperturbed unflustered unshaken unmoved unaffected inviolate sacrosanct hallowed blessed consecrated revered esteemed acclaimed celebrated exalted elevated given advanced cultivated developed aged vintage classic timeless eternal perennial enduring lasting permanent immortal deathless undying unfading imperishable indestructible unbreakable unyielding inflexible rigid stiff hard firm solid substantial

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "sophism" in English means: A clever but false argument used to deceive someone., A subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning..

The phonetic transcription of "sophism" is /ˈsɒfɪzəm/ in British English and /ˈsɑːfɪzəm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "sophism": fallacy, deception, quibble, sophistry, casuistry, subtlety, trickery, artifice, delusion, error, misconception, illusion, hoax, ruse, stratagem, wile, scheme, ploy, dodge, evasion, pretext, cloak, mask, guise, semblance, appearance, show, affectation, posture, pretense, sham, imposture, deceit, fraud, guile, cunning, craft, ingenuity, intelligence, acumen, sagacity, wisdom, insight, understanding, knowledge, learning, erudition, scholarship, culture, refinement, taste, elegance, grace, style, flair, panache, aplomb, assurance, confidence, self-possession, composure, equanimity, serenity, tranquility, peace, calm, quiet, silence, void, nothingness, nonexistence, nihility, privation, absence, lack, want, deficiency, shortage, scarcity, paucity, dearth, insufficiency, inadequacy, imperfection, flaw, blemish, defect, fault, weakness, frailty, infirmity, ailing, sick, diseased, unwell, indisposed, afflicted, suffering, wretched, miserable, unhappy, sad, dejected, downcast, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, forlorn, bleak, grim, somber, dismal, dreary, cheerless, lifeless, inert, passive, inactive, stagnant, dormant, latent, potential, virtual, imaginary, fanciful, visionary, utopian, idealistic, impractical, unrealistic, fantastic, grotesque, bizarre, strange, odd, peculiar, unusual, abnormal, anomalous, irregular, eccentric, singular, unique, rare, uncommon, scarce, limited, few, meager, paltry, trifling, insignificant, trivial, petty, minor, secondary, subsidiary, auxiliary, ancillary, supplementary, accessory, incidental, contingent, conditional, provisional, tentative, subject, liable, prone, apt, likely, probable, possible, feasible, viable, tenable, defensible, justifiable, pardonable, venial, mortal, fatal, lethal, deadly, destructive, harmful, injurious, detrimental, deleterious, noxious, poisonous, toxic, virulent, malignant, baneful, ominous, portentous, ill-fated, damned, cursed, accursed, unholy, profane, sacrilegious, impious, irreligious, agnostic, skeptical, dubious, uncertain, unsure, insecure, anxious, worried, concerned, apprehensive, fearful, timid, cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, lily-livered, yellow-bellied, spineless, weak-kneed, flaccid, limp, pendulous, flabby, soft, tender, delicate, fragile, brittle, friable, rotten, putrid, rancid, contaminated, infected, tainted, adulterated, diluted, thin, attenuated, rarefied, subtle, fine, refined, polished, shining, bright, radiant, luminous, resplendent, glorious, splendid, magnificent, grand, stately, imposing, dignified, noble, virtuous, righteous, upright, honest, honorable, sincere, genuine, authentic, real, true, veritable, indubitable, unquestionable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, unimpeachable, unassailable, invincible, unconquerable, impregnable, invulnerable, impervious, resistant, immune, safe, secure, unharmed, untouched, unscathed, intact, whole, complete, perfect, flawless, unblemished, immaculate, spotless, pristine, unspoiled, undisturbed, untroubled, unruffled, unperturbed, unflustered, unshaken, unmoved, unaffected, inviolate, sacrosanct, hallowed, blessed, consecrated, revered, esteemed, acclaimed, celebrated, exalted, elevated, given, advanced, cultivated, developed, aged, vintage, classic, timeless, eternal, perennial, enduring, lasting, permanent, immortal, deathless, undying, unfading, imperishable, indestructible, unbreakable, unyielding, inflexible, rigid, stiff, hard, firm, solid, substantial.

Example usage of "sophism": "That's a sophism to trick people.". More examples on the page.