meretricious

Meaning

1. Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring.
2. Involving unlawful sexual connection or lack of consent by at least one party (said of a romantic relationship).
3. (obsolete) Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.

Synonyms

gaudy

garish

tawdry

flashy

specious

flash

spurious

tacky

tatty

trashy

loud

cheap

ostentatious

gilded

for show

gimcrack

brassy

showy

unchaste

wanton

whorish

cheapjack

pretentious

bastard

dashing

false

flamboyant

flossy

hokey

inauthentic

indecent

obscene

artificial

prim

seductive

sham

show off

sporty

swanky

unauthentic

Translations

spécieux

opzichtig

llamativo

dirnenhaft

aufdringlich

économique

estrident

επιτηδευμένος

llampant

πορνικός

bariolé

de mauvais goût

επιδεικτικός

factice

επίπλαστος

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌmɛɹɪˈtɹɪʃəs/

Etymology

From Latin meretrīcius, from meretrīx (“harlot, prostitute”), from mereō (“earn, deserve, merit”) (English merit) + -trīx (“(female agent)”) (English -trix).