meretricious

adjective

Definition of meretriciousnext
as in conspicuous
formal + disapproving attractive in a cheap or false way meretricious beauty lacking in any real substance

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective meretricious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of meretricious are flashy, garish, gaudy, and tawdry. While all these words mean "vulgarly or cheaply showy," meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise.

a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars

When is it sensible to use flashy instead of meretricious?

The words flashy and meretricious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

When could garish be used to replace meretricious?

While the synonyms garish and meretricious are close in meaning, garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

Where would gaudy be a reasonable alternative to meretricious?

The words gaudy and meretricious can be used in similar contexts, but gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

When would tawdry be a good substitute for meretricious?

Although the words tawdry and meretricious have much in common, tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy.

tawdry saloons

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 These meretricious narratives play well throughout the Global South. — Michael Miklaucic, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meretricious
  1. conspicuous
  2. remarkable
  3. brilliant
  4. loud
  5. noticeable
  6. dramatic
  7. striking
  8. outstanding
Adjective
  • When the cleanup began, AI writing was often betrayed by conspicuous clichés.
    — Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Birds are conspicuous then – singing, defending territories, building nests and raising young.
    — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of conspicuous
Adjective
  • But a remarkable number of young people are expected to cast ballots for far-right parties whose messaging is overtly Jewish nationalist.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Completed in June 2026, with Studio Asa serving as landscape consultant, Split Mass Residence packs a remarkable amount of living, work and leisure space onto its corner plot.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of remarkable
Adjective
  • From a charismatic Formula 1 racing legend to a brilliant but flawed soccer god to a troubled, tragic singer, Academy Award-winning docmaker Asif Kapadia has made a career out of telling the stories of larger-than-life figures.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Her positive testimonial was echoed by a downer-loving millionaire who attended with her brilliant and terrifyingly thin mother for her 70th birthday.
    — Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of brilliant
Adjective
  • But the Sweetgreen on the Upper East Side was both loud and had nowhere to sit, a sad reflection of how Americans view workday lunches.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Frequent awakenings, loud snoring, gasping during sleep, morning headaches or uncomfortable leg sensations warrant a conversation with a healthcare provider.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of loud
Adjective
  • Our final list is made up of the best six neck creams for older women that firmed skin and made things like tech neck, sagging, and crepey texture look a lot less noticeable and smoother.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Aldi’s Benton’s Original Chocolate Sandwich Creme Cookies have become a frequent Oreo comparison, and a Simply Recipes blind taste test found noticeable differences between the two, with the reviewer ultimately preferring Oreos.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of noticeable
Adjective
  • Instead, the situation in Austin has taken a dramatic turn over the past three weeks.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • However, the government has announced a dramatic cut in the number of working holiday visas, from 31,000 to 5,000.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of dramatic
Adjective
  • The design plays with geometry, reflection and depth—think warm wood panelling, bronzed mirrors, walnut tables, brass accents and luminous geometric details, including a striking hexagonal counter.
    — Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The timing is striking, since the midterm elections are less than two weeks away and polls show Democrats with an edge in many key races.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of striking
Adjective
  • Highfill maintains a covenant requiring utility rates to generate net revenues equal to at least 110% of maximum annual debt service on outstanding system bonds.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The debt reflects the principal amount outstanding under convertible notes Anthropic issued to Amazon starting in 2023, according to the lab's prospectus.
    — Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of outstanding

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meretricious
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Cite this Entry

“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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