as in conspicuous
formal + disapproving
attractive in a cheap or false way
meretricious beauty lacking in any real substance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of meretricious
Denzel Washington stars as Macrinus, a meretricious arms dealer who own a stable of gladiators, while Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger are brothers and ruling emperors.
—
Zoe Guy, Vulture, 1 July 2024
But as a character study, with Holocaust themes deepening the stakes of the domestic turmoil, the play holds up extremely well in its critique of a world that has lost its capacity for silence and that is prepared to sacrifice literature for meretricious distraction.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
The heads of banks, corporations, universities, law firms, foundations, and media companies were neither more nor less venal, meretricious, and greedy than their counterparts today.
—George Packer, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2011
The bullying tactics being used to sell this boondoggle are underhanded and meretricious.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
These shows raised the bar for musical drama and proved to Broadway that meretricious soullessness isn’t the only way.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023
You’re left with a feeling of overwhelming perversity, of a kind of meretricious, insane God out there playing games.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2023
By condescending to the twins’ evident lack of cultural exposure, the media compound a circumstance that suggests remote parental influence — and dereliction of our rapaciously indifferent consumer culture that sells only what is new and meretricious.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 Aug. 2020
Today’s sleek, simple anti-It Bags, on the other hand, telegraph a less meretricious sort of chic.
—Fiorella Valdesolo, WSJ, 7 Jan. 2023
Zoe Guy, Vulture, 1 July 2024
But as a character study, with Holocaust themes deepening the stakes of the domestic turmoil, the play holds up extremely well in its critique of a world that has lost its capacity for silence and that is prepared to sacrifice literature for meretricious distraction.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
The heads of banks, corporations, universities, law firms, foundations, and media companies were neither more nor less venal, meretricious, and greedy than their counterparts today.
—George Packer, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2011
The bullying tactics being used to sell this boondoggle are underhanded and meretricious.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
These shows raised the bar for musical drama and proved to Broadway that meretricious soullessness isn’t the only way.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023
You’re left with a feeling of overwhelming perversity, of a kind of meretricious, insane God out there playing games.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2023
By condescending to the twins’ evident lack of cultural exposure, the media compound a circumstance that suggests remote parental influence — and dereliction of our rapaciously indifferent consumer culture that sells only what is new and meretricious.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 Aug. 2020
Today’s sleek, simple anti-It Bags, on the other hand, telegraph a less meretricious sort of chic.
—Fiorella Valdesolo, WSJ, 7 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meretricious
Adjective
-
Since then, her appearances at NFL games has been conspicuous and often noted by NFL commentators.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
15 Feb. 2025
-
That kind of picking and choosing is more conspicuous than ever.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The rise of the side hustle culture has been remarkable in recent years.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The turnaround in East Lansing has also been remarkable.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Using a combination of many brilliant innovations, and among other accomplishments, DeepSeek was able to reduce the cost of inference or thinking by a substantial amount.—
Philip Maymin,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The story turns on brilliant scientist Rebecca Abrams (47), who experiences a career setback after anonymous allegations of abuses of power are brought against her.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
At night, everyone heads for Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí (there’s a cost to attend), the massive stadium that is the kickoff point for the boisterous and loud samba parades that take place throughout the night.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The project involves using implosives to connect wires on that segment, hence the loud booms heard by those who live nearby.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s been noticeable how much instruction the team has been giving Campbell, including manager Alex Cora, infield coach José Flores, Bregman and Trevor Story.—
Jen McCaffrey,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The lighter weight is definitely noticeable, which coupled with the rounded corners make the phone much more comfortable to hold.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This rivalry wrote another dramatic chapter Saturday night.—
Pierre LeBrun,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
-
And at the film’s Los Angeles premiere, Saldaña sported a dramatic strapless gown.—
Violet Goldstone,
WWD,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, she’s drawn to Anja (Saskia Rosendahl), a struggling single mother from the Brandenburg countryside where Isabell’s architect father built a striking modernist home.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2025
-
The moon will produce a striking crescent sun at sunrise, giving northeastern states the best views.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Our first priority always is to maintain outstanding security and operational excellence.—
Ayesha Javed,
TIME,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Each Movies 'Wicked' Star Jeff Goldblum Plays Piano During BAFTA Film Awards In Memoriam Segment Winslet scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the film, with Lee also nominated for the BAFTA for outstanding British film of the year.—
Hilary Lewis,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to meretricious
Cite this Entry
“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share