meretricious
meretricious — adjective
- meretriciouspositive
- more meretriciouscomparative
- most meretricioussuperlative
1. describing something that outwardly appears impressive, stylish, or valuable but
describing something that outwardly appears impressive, stylish, or valuable but has no real substance, quality, or worth when examined closely — often because it was deliberately designed to deceive.
The hotel lobby was decorated with meretricious gold statues that flaked after a week.
collocation: meretricious + decoration / display
Wei realised the investment scheme was meretricious when the promised returns never appeared.
Fatima dismissed the politician's speech as meretricious promises designed to win votes.
What the boutique called 'luxury silk' was a meretricious synthetic fabric that tore easily.
Diego thought the film's special effects were meretricious — flashy but serving no real purpose.
- tawdry
emphasises cheapness and bad taste alongside showiness; a broader, less formal word
- gaudy
focuses on excessive brightness or ornament rather than deception
- pretentious
stresses claiming more importance or sophistication than is deserved, not necessarily visual show
- specious
applies most naturally to arguments or claims that seem correct but are false; less about visual appearance
- genuine
truly what it appears to be; not fake or deceptive
- substantial
having real value, weight, or importance beneath the surface
文法句型
meretricious + noun
be + meretricious
用法筆記
Unlike 'cheap' or 'tacky', which indicate poor quality without implying intent, 'meretricious' carries a strong suggestion that the attractive appearance was deliberately manufactured to mislead. The word typically appears in formal writing — criticism of art, design, advertising, political speech, or commercial products.