Her argument was praised for being cogent and logically compelling. Which option is the best antonym of cogent?

Question

Her argument was praised for being cogent and logically compelling.

Which option is the best antonym of cogent?

1. A. Specious (Correct answer)
2. B. Tentative
3. C. Ambiguous
4. D. Superficial

Correct Answer

Option A — A

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Option A.

Key Points

• Cogent means clear, logical and convincing.
• Its best antonym is specious — meaning superficially plausible but actually flawed or false.
• A cogent argument is genuinely sound; a specious one only appears sound.
• Why the others miss: tentative (B) means hesitant, ambiguous (C) means unclear, superficial (D) means shallow — none is the true opposite of 'logically convincing'. Specious is the precise antonym because it denotes false persuasiveness.

Exam Tip

• 'specious' is a favourite exam word — it does not mean 'special'; it means deceptively attractive reasoning that does not hold up.

Additional Information

• Cogent means clear, logical and convincing, and is used almost exclusively of arguments and reasoning rather than of people.
• Antonyms cluster around weakness of reasoning: unconvincing, specious, spurious, fallacious.
• Note that specious is a particularly useful contrast — it means superficially plausible but actually wrong.