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Meretricious: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Meretricious adjective. Showily attractive but cheap, hollow or insincere.
How to say it
merr-ih-TRISH-us/ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs/
4 syllables, stressed on the third (TRISH).
Meretricious in a sentence
The hotel's meretricious gold taps couldn't hide the damp in the corners.
The speech was full of meretricious slogans and empty promises.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- gaudy
- tawdry
- flashy
- specious
Opposite:
- genuine
- tasteful
Careful
Meretricious has nothing to do with merit; it means superficially attractive but worthless. Calling a hard-working colleague's efforts meretricious would be an insult, not praise.
Where meretricious comes from
From Latin meretrix, a prostitute, from merere, to earn.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The speech was full of _____ slogans and empty promises.
- unexceptionable
- nonplussed
- meretricious
Show the answer
meretricious: The speech was full of meretricious slogans and empty promises.