as in conspicuous
formal + disapproving
attractive in a cheap or false way
meretricious beauty lacking in any real substance
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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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meretricious
Adjective
-
George Leef made note of the outlet’s conspicuous hostility toward the capitalist enterprise.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
2 Apr. 2025
-
There was a point where that was much more conspicuous.—
Lexy Perez,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Thank you to all the remarkable health care workers, who take our lives in your hands.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
O'Donnell's departure on February 28 marked a remarkable 39-day span of rotating commissioners.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That warrants definite watching to see if yet another brilliant scheme by Kyle and Kamilla can take hold.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
In his brilliant opening round 65, DeChambeau gained 3.7 strokes putting, nearly double his previous career-best number.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In a nutshell, this Mango crossbody is trendy without being loud: a balance that will serve you well, especially when paired with a maxi skirt, white sneakers, and a transitional-weather cashmere sweater almost as soft as the item itself.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The sigh of relief heard on Wall Street was almost as loud on Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers let out a collective exhale.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Use the dome light and flashers to make your vehicle more noticeable.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Some of them, like the new experimental version of 2.5 Pro, are beginning to show noticeable vibe improvements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Epic Universe, eight years in the making and sprawling across more than 100 acres, represents a dramatic evolution for Universal, and in some ways, the American theme park industry.—
Todd Anderson,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Botanical Name: Mimulus x hybridus Sun Exposure: Partial shade Soil Type: Clay, loam, sand Soil pH: Neutral 10 of 11 White Tobacco White tobacco has large, dramatic leaves and showy, fragrant clusters of pendent white flowers that look like a burst of shooting stars.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But what’s most striking on this new photo is at the top of the phone.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The sunset colors of the house’s terra-cotta facade are as striking and ornate as ever.—
Thao Thai,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Two additional persons charged – Sayed Ali, 59, of Richmond, and Stephanie Huerta, 35, of Houston – are considered fugitives, and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests, the U.S. attorney's office said.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
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The trouble with international prosecutions The ICC has a long list of outstanding arrest warrants, including for former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades before being deposed in 2019.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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