Word
disingenuous
Phoneticsdisin·gen·u·ous
US/dɪsɪnˈdʒɛnjuəs/
UK/dˌɪsɪndʒˈɛnjuːəs/
Definition
adj. not honest or fair. You use this to describe someone who tries to trick you or hide the truth on purpose.
adj. unfair or dishonest in a way that suggests a lack of sincerity or a deliberate attempt to mislead. Often used to describe arguments or statements that appear to be logical but are actually based on hidden motives.
Examples
“His disingenuous answer did not satisfy the committee.”
“The politician's disingenuous claim about the budget was quickly debunked by the financial experts.”
“The lawyer's disingenuous strategy relied on selective evidence to create a misleading narrative that would sway the jury's opinion.”
Examples
simple
“His disingenuous answer did not satisfy the committee.”
contextual
“The politician's disingenuous claim about the budget was quickly debunked by the financial experts.”
complex
“The lawyer's disingenuous strategy relied on selective evidence to create a misleading narrative that would sway the jury's opinion.”
Real-World Examples
“Our planning, energy and water systems are much more carefully monitored, managed and regulated.”
Leaders in the datacentre sector have also complained about the backlash, calling it misleading and disingenuous.” “Anyone who says this is impractical because there is no list of all graduates is being disingenuous.” Etymology
From dis- + ingenuous.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/disingenuous