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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.

Words related to meretricious

toy, frill, ornament, trinket, ostentation, decoration, pretentiousness, adornment, knickknack, bauble, showiness, gaudiness, tawdriness, fussiness, fanciness, fandangle

Words nearby meretricious

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

OTHER WORDS FROM meretricious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH meretricious

meritorious meretricious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for meretriciousness

  • She felt that she was a living part of John's meretriciousness.

    Leonora|Arnold Bennett

  • The meretriciousness of women and their love of luxury are denounced.

    Folkways|William Graham Sumner

  • There was a suggestion of meretriciousness in the tinted lips and the pretence of colour on the charming face.

    The Hand in the Dark|Arthur J. Rees

British Dictionary definitions for meretriciousness

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