meretricious

[ mer-i-trish-uhs ]
/ ˌmɛr ɪˈtrɪʃ əs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR meretricious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

alluring by a show of flashy or vulgar attractions; tawdry.
based on pretense, deception, or insincerity.
pertaining to or characteristic of a prostitute.

QUIZZES

IS YOUR VOCABULARY AS STRONG AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT? TRY THIS QUIZ TO SEE!

It may seem like fun and games but this quiz that uses vocab from popular stories will determine how much you know.
Question 1 of 10
disgruntle
to deprive of ability, qualification, or strength
to put into a state of sulky dissatisfaction
to make repayment or return for (service, benefits, etc.)
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of meretricious

1620–30; <Latin meretrīcius of, pertaining to prostitutes, derivative of meretrīx prostitute, equivalent to mere-, stem of merēre to earn + -trīx -trix; see -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM meretricious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH meretricious

meritorious, meretricious .

Words nearby meretricious

Meredith, merely, merengue, mereology, merese, meretricious, merganser, merge, mergee, Mergenthaler, merger
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to meretricious

blatant, bogus, brazen, chintzy, counterfeit, garish, glaring, insincere, loud, misleading, ornate, phony, plastic, sham, showy, spurious, superficial, tawdry, trashy, put-on

Example sentences from the Web for meretricious

British Dictionary definitions for meretricious

meretricious
/ (ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs) /

adjective

superficially or garishly attractive
insinceremeretricious praise
archaic of, like, or relating to a prostitute

Derived forms of meretricious

meretriciously, adverbmeretriciousness, noun

Word Origin for meretricious

C17: from Latin merētrīcius, from merētrix prostitute, from merēre to earn money
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012