Lewis & Short

spĕcĭōsus, a, um, adj. [species] (acc. to species, II. B. 3.), good-looking, showy, handsome, beautiful, splendid, brilliant (not freq. till after the Aug. period; syn.: venustus, pulcher, formosus, spectabilis).

  1. A. Lit. (not so in Cic.): hunc speciosum pelle decorā, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 45: femina, Quint. 5, 10, 47: puer, Petr. 41, 6: corpora, Quint. 11, 3, 26: nec id speciosum fieri putabo, id. 5, 12, 19: in certaminibus speciosa atque robusta, id. 11, 3, 26: ministerium, Vell. 2, 111, 3: familia, id. 2, 59, 2.
    Comp.: familiam nemo speciosiorem producit, Sen. Ep. 87, 6: si plenior aliquis et speciosior et coloratior factus est, Cels. 2, 2.
    Sup.: homo (Alcibiades), Quint. 8, 4, 23: corpus, id. 2, 15, 9: filia, Petr. 140, 2.
  2. B. Trop.: reversionis has speciosas causas habes, well-sounding, plausible, specious, Cic. Att. 16, 7, 6; cf.: specioso titulo uti vos, Romani, Graecarum civitatium liberandarum video, Liv. 35, 16: dictu speciosa, id. 1, 23: gerentis bellum Romanos speciosum Graeciae liberandae tulisse titulum, id. 42, 52, 15; 36, 17, 13; cf. Quint. 8, 6, 8: magis necessarium quam speciosum, ministerium, Liv. 4, 8, 6: dicere aliquod speciosum, Quint. 1, 5, 3: speciosum dicendi genus, id. 10, 1, 127: vocabula rerum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 116: miracula, id. A. P. 144: speciosa locis morataque recte Fabula, id. ib. 319: speciosa nomina culpae Imponis, Ov. M. 7, 69: specioso eripe damno, from this splendid misery, id. ib. 11, 133.
    Comp.: cum speciosius quid dicendum est, Quint. 11, 3, 84: speciosior rhetorice quam dialectice, id. 2, 20, 7: speciosiore stili genere, id. 7, 1, 54: gestarum rerum ordinem sequi speciosius fuit, id. 3, 7, 15.
    Sup.: longe speciosissimum genus orationis, Quint. 8, 6, 49.
    Adv.: spĕcĭōsē, showily, handsomely, splendidly.
    1. 1. Lit.: vehi, i. e. in a painted or ornamented vessel, Plin. 35, 7, 31, § 49.
      Comp.: speciosius instratus equus quam uxor vestita, Liv. 34, 7: tractet arma, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 52: quo speciosius ingrediantur sublimes, Col. 2, 2, 22.
      Sup.: contorta hasta (with optime emissa), Quint. 9, 4, 8.
    2. 2. Trop.: dictum, Quint. 9, 4, 14: translatum, id. 2, 5, 9.
      Sup.: usus est, Quint. 8, 6, 18.