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
So ranked-choice voting was implemented as a stop-loss remedy — a move to camouflage the practices of an industry devoted to meretricious, often nihilistic entertainments.
—
Armond White, National Review, 27 June 2025
These meretricious narratives play well throughout the Global South.
—Michael Miklaucic, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
These meretricious narratives play well throughout the Global South.
—Michael Miklaucic, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
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
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
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
Armond White, National Review, 27 June 2025
These meretricious narratives play well throughout the Global South.
—Michael Miklaucic, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
These meretricious narratives play well throughout the Global South.
—Michael Miklaucic, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
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
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
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
Adjective
-
Supermassive black holes can be very conspicuous when actively feeding and therefore surrounded by a wealth of matter in a region called an active galactic nuclei (AGN).—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 June 2026
-
But luxury today is increasingly less about conspicuous ownership and more about access, flexibility, and optimization.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Gel Alpha has a remarkable ability to spot toxic behavior that should not be normalized.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
14 June 2026
-
The North African national team showed remarkable connectivity on short passes, creative footwork and blistering speed that pinned Brazil in their own field for much of the first half, forcing them onto the back foot from the opening whistle.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
The pair joined a group of brilliant theoretical physicists who were agonizing over a particular problem in quantum theory.—
Lyndie Chiou,
Quanta Magazine,
25 Aug. 2025
-
By September, aspen and balsam poplar trees at the entrance are a brilliant yellow, and scrub vegetation (also known as the taiga) turns rust colored, making for an impressive vista.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
If someone encounters a bobcat, the agency recommends yelling or making loud noises to scare it off.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The most powerful voices right now aren’t always the loudest or the most visible.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Mansfield, a retiree who has been helping at the business for the past four years, says the construction has had a noticeable impact.—
Hannah McIlree,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Warm weather can make the surge even more noticeable.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even the recipe deemed sacrilegious in Carbonaragate cannot evoke the same dramatic reactions or touch the same sensitivities that surround cheese—a relationship that, like wine and bread, is often inseparable from faith, sometimes quite literally.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Day hikes such as the Bright Angel Point Trail highlight the dramatic canyon views, but be careful as the trails can get steep.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The scenes along the concrete loggias above the koi pond are especially colorful and striking.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
In recent years, the rapid adoption of generative AI tools has coincided with a striking convergence in capabilities.—
Heather Farmbrough,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The near-perfect conditions affected each vineyard parcel and variety differently, but the result is outstanding across the board.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
14 June 2026
-
Your Carolyn Bessette is outstanding.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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