December 18, 2026

Meretricious

adjective

Definition

Apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity; tawdry. Something meretricious promises more than it can deliver.

Example Sentence

“The proposal was dazzlingly presented but ultimately meretricious — style covering a lack of substance.”

Etymology

From Latin meretricius, from meretrix (a prostitute), from mereri (to earn).

Scrabble Score

M3E1R1E1T1R1I1C3I1O1U1S1

MERETRICIOUS scores 16 points in Scrabble.

Synonyms & Related Words

showy hollow flashy specious

Use It in Word Games

Find words from MERETRICIOUS Anagram: Meretricious Wordle Solver