definitions

meretricious

[ mer-i-trish-uhs ]
/ ˌmɛr ɪˈtrɪʃ əs /
||
SEE MORE 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.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

meredith, merely, merengue, mereology, merese, meretricious, merganser, merge, mergee, mergenthaler, merger

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

Related forms

Can be confused

meritorious meretricious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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

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