meretricious

WOTD – 2 August 2007    

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs/, /ˌmɛrəˈtrɪʃəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃəs

Adjective

meretricious (comparative more meretricious, superlative most meretricious)

1. (obsolete) Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.
2. Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having no substance; falsely alluring.
   • 2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho, Picador 2007, p. 164:

     When I lifted my eyes from the page, there was none of the meretricious argument London always offers that the sole real purpose in life is to hustle for a buck.

Synonyms

• (tastelessly showy): brassy, cheap, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy

Related terms

• merit (see also: merit: related terms)

Translations

of, or relating to prostitutes

• Dutch: opzichtig (nl),hoerachtig (nl)
• French: racoleur (fr),putassier (fr)
• German: dirnenhaft (de)
• Latin: meretrīcius (la)

• Manx: streebeeagh (gv)
• Serbo-Croatian: kurvinski (sh)
• Spanish: meretricio (es)

Tastelessly gaudy

• Dutch: schoonschijnend (nl),wansmakelijk (nl)
• French: spécieux (fr),de mauvais goût (fr)