First Known Use: 1626
Dictionary
meretricious
adjective mer·e·tri·cious \ˌmer-ə-ˈtri-shəs\
: attractive in a cheap or false way
Full Definition of MERETRICIOUS
1
: of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution <meretricious relationships>
2
a : tawdrily and falsely attractive <the paradise they found was a piece of meretricious trash — Carolyn See> b : superficially significant : pretentious <scholarly names to provide fig-leaves of respectability for meretricious but stylish books — Times Literary Supplement>
— mer·e·tri·cious·ly adverb
— mer·e·tri·cious·ness noun
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Origin of MERETRICIOUS
Latin meretricius, from meretric-, meretrix prostitute, from merēre to earn — more at merit
Synonym Discussion of MERETRICIOUS
gaudy, tawdry, garish, flashy, meretricious mean vulgarly or cheaply showy. gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation <circus performers in gaudy costumes>. tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy <tawdry saloons>. garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright <garish neon signs>. flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar <a flashy nightclub act>. meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise <a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars>.
Rhymes with MERETRICIOUS
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