Meretricious

Pronunciation

IPA: /ËŒmÉ›rÉªËˆtrÉªÊƒÉ™s/, /ËŒmÉ›rÉ™ËˆtrÉªÊƒÉ™s/
Rhymes: -ÉªÊƒÉ™s

Origin

From Latin meretrÄ«cius, from meretrÄ«x ("harlot, prostitute"), from mereÅ ("earn, deserve, merit") (English merit) + -trÄ«x ("(female agent)") (English -trix).

Full definition of meretricious

Adjective

meretricious

(obsolete) Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.
Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring.

1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 10, He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.
2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho, Picador 2007, p. 164:When I lifted my eyes from the page, there was none of the meretricious argument London always offers that the sole real purpose in life is to hustle for a buck.

Synonyms

(tastelessly showy) brassy, cheap, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy

Related terms

merit (see also: )