meretricious
1Meretricious — Mer e*tri cious, a. [L. meretricius, from meretrix, icis, a prostitute, lit., one who earns money, i. e., by prostitution, fr. merere to earn, gain. See {Merit}.] 1. Of or pertaining to prostitutes; having to do with harlots; lustful; as,… …
2meretricious — I adjective artificial, bedizened, brummagem, cheap, counterfeit, deceitful, deceptive, delusive, fake, false, fraudulent, garish, gaudy, imitation, misleading, mock, ornate, sham, showy, speciously attractive, spurious, tawdry, theatrical,… …
3meretricious — derived from Latin meretrix ‘prostitute’, means ‘showily but falsely attractive’: • She could view with contempt those of her fellow tourists who, after the Aegean, could excite themselves over the meretricious charms of Venice Robert Liddell,… …
4meretricious — (adj.) 1620s, pertaining to harlots, from L. meretricius of or pertaining to prostitutes, from meretrix (gen. meretricis) prostitute, lit. woman who earns money, from merere, mereri to earn, gain (see MERIT (Cf. merit) (n.)). Meaning gaudily… …
5meretricious — *gaudy, tawdry, garish, flashy Analogous words: *showy, pretentious, ostentatious: vulgar, *coarse, gross: deceptive, delusive, delusory, *misleading …
6meretricious — [adj] gaudy, flashy blatant, bogus, brazen, chintzy, counterfeit, garish, glaring, insincere, loud, misleading, ornate, phony, plastic*, put on*, sham, showy, spurious, superficial, tawdry, tinsel, trashy; concepts 542,589 Ant. genuine, real,… …
7meretricious — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ showily but falsely attractive. ORIGIN from Latin meretrix prostitute , from mereri be hired …
8meretricious — [mer΄ə trish′əs] adj. [L meretricius < meretrix (gen. meretricis), a prostitute < mereri, to serve for hire, earn: see MERIT] 1. Obs. of, like, or characteristic of a prostitute 2. alluring by false, showy charms; attractive in a flashy… …
9meretricious — adjective Etymology: Latin meretricius, from meretric , meretrix prostitute, from merēre to earn more at merit Date: 1626 1. of or relating to a prostitute ; having the nature of prostitution < meretricious relationships > 2. a. tawdrily and… …
10meretricious — mer|e|tri|cious [ˌmerıˈtrıʃəs] adj formal [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: meretricius, from meretrix prostitute , from merere; MERIT1] something that is meretricious seems attractive but has no real value or is not based on the truth ▪… …
