toothless argument
- noun
:
argumento débil
- The lawyer's toothless argument failed to convince the jury.
Examples
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She realized her case rested on a toothless argument with no factual support.
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Critics dismissed the proposal as a toothless argument lacking real substance.
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That's a toothless argument!
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The proposal was dismissed as a toothless argument.
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Critics dismissed the proposal as a toothless argument lacking real substance.
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She realized her case rested on a toothless argument with no factual support.
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The lawyer's toothless argument failed to convince the jury.
Synonyms
1
4.2
A reason that is weak and not supported by evidence
A reason that seems simple but is shallow and not careful
An explanation that is vague and lacks proof or important detail
Antonyms
30
3.9
An argument with good evidence and clear reasons that is likely to convince people
How Effective
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'toothless' denotes lack of power or effectiveness and 'argument' denotes a set of reasons, so together they naturally mean an argument that lacks force. This metaphorical use of 'toothless' (powerless) is a common, regular extension and should be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings.
Etymology
Toothless argument comes from the image of an animal with no teeth: toothless means it cannot bite, so it cannot hurt anyone. So a toothless argument is an argument with no 'power' and cannot convince people.