Phenoxycarboxylic acid amide compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are individually selected from hydrogen and methyl,R.sup.3 is hydrogen or alkyl with from 1 to 5 carbon atomsR.sup.4 is optionally substituted alkoxycarbonylalkyl, aminocarbonylalkyl or dialkylaminocarbonylalkyl, phenyl, or substituted phenyl wherein the substituent is at least one of the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxy or alkylthio of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, carbalkoxy of from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, halogen, and nitro; orR.sup.3 and R.sup.4, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom, form an mono- or bicyclic ring with up to 15 carbon atoms and which is optionally substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups of up to 4 carbon atoms each, and which ring may be partially unsaturated and/or benzo-fused; or a saturated mono-cyclic ring of up to 8 carbon atoms and containing a further hetero-atom selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, which ring is optionally substituted by one or two alkyl groups of up to 2 carbon atoms each; or an unsaturated 5-membered heterocyclic ring containing up to 4 ring nitrogen atoms and which ring is optionally substituted with at least one member of the group consisting of alkyl of up to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of up to 4 carbon atoms, alkylthio of up to 4 carbon atoms, phenyl, halogen, halomethyl, cyano, alkanoyl of up to 4 carbon atoms and carbalkoxy of from 2 to 4 carbon atoms; andX is hydrogen or chlorine;are outstandingly effective herbicides.