meretricious
/ˌmɛɹɪˈtɹɪʃəs/
meretricious means tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring. It carries an Arena rating of 1845, earned across 80 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, meretricious ranks #20 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #173 of 42,752 for Qualifying, #245 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #789 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
meretricious is pronounced /ˌmɛɹɪˈtɹɪʃəs/.
Why “meretricious” is a great word
Superficially or deceptively attractive but lacking in real value or integrity. From Latin meretrīcius ("of or pertaining to a prostitute"), from meretrīx ("harlot, prostitute"), itself from merēre ("to earn, deserve") + the female agent suffix -trīx. Unlike "gaudy," which denotes mere tasteless showiness, or "ornate," which can celebrate genuine and skilled elaboration, meretricious carries the specific stain of a calculated fraud. It is the too-bright gleam of gilded plastic, the passionate but empty rhetoric of a bad faith argument, or the warm, practiced handshake of a stranger whose smile doesn't reach his eyes—a kind of beauty that does not give, but sells, leaving the eye caught and the hand empty.
Etymology
From Latin meretrīcius, from meretrīx (“harlot, prostitute”), from mereō (“earn, deserve, merit”) (English merit) + -trīx (“(female agent)”) (English -trix).
adj
- Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring.
- Involving unlawful sexual connection or lack of consent by at least one party (said of a romantic relationship).
- Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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