meretricious
adjective
[ ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs ]
• apparently attractive but having no real value.
• "meretricious souvenirs for the tourist trade"
Similar:
flashy,
pretentious,
gaudy,
tawdry,
trashy,
garish,
chintzy,
Brummagem,
loud,
tinselly,
cheap,
tasteless,
kitschy,
false,
artificial,
fake,
faked,
fraudulent,
imitation,
bogus,
spurious,
sham,
specious,
plastic,
tacky,
fakey,
• relating to or characteristic of a prostitute.
Origin:
early 17th century: from Latin meretricius (adjective from meretrix, meretric- ‘prostitute’, from mereri ‘be hired’) + -ous.
