meretricious

adjective
UK: /ˌmer.ɪˈtrɪʃ.əs/
US: /ˌmer.əˈtrɪʃ.əs/

  1. Attractive in a cheap or false way.

    1. The shop sold meretricious souvenirs to tourists.
    2. Her meretricious jewelry was designed to impress but lacked real value.

  2. Appearing attractive but having in reality no value or integrity.

    1. The argument was meretricious and easily exposed as flawed.
    2. They denounced the senator's speech as a meretricious attempt to gain popularity.

Synonyms

showy flashy tawdry ostentatious gaudy

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "meretricious" in English means: Attractive in a cheap or false way., Appearing attractive but having in reality no value or integrity..

The phonetic transcription of "meretricious" is /ˌmer.ɪˈtrɪʃ.əs/ in British English and /ˌmer.əˈtrɪʃ.əs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "meretricious": showy, flashy, tawdry, ostentatious, gaudy.

Example usage of "meretricious": "The shop sold meretricious souvenirs to tourists.". More examples on the page.