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
-
This could be because the economic violence that targets civilians is less conspicuous than the violence of armed conflict.—
Mark Weisbrot,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
His purge of senior officers who are Black or female has been conspicuous.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
More remarkable is his ability to convince skittish engineers, investors, and a tech-skeptical public that their priorities, even when mutually exclusive, are also his priorities.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
There’s also no denying that finishing with a point per game or better in 21 consecutive NHL seasons is a remarkable achievement.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Glory has remained a classic for nearly 40 years through its precise, rather brilliant combination of history lesson and Hollywood blockbuster.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The protagonists in both books are brilliant in very specific ways (Bernadette is a designer), a brilliance focused in a passion that is conveyed through the novel.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When, in the early nineteen-hundreds, Gibson developed the F-style flat-back, inspired by the Stradivarius violin, the idea was to produce a louder instrument that could be used for classical as well as folk music, while being assembly-line-friendly.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The calls were loudest for burying power lines, improving utility equipment to withstand storms and compensating businesses and individuals for losses due to outages.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Nigel Hughes, who tracks housing markets across the country, says there has already been a noticeable shift.—
Brad Hamilton,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But political observers say many Georgia taxpayers could see a noticeable reduction in taxes in the years ahead.—
David Wickert,
AJC.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The look is darker, more dramatic.—
Connie Ogle
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, the game has experienced dramatic growth .—
Janice Phelan,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For those who know the play well, some of Mantello’s choices are most striking, especially the horror here of the famous hotel-room scene with a tawdry lover (brutally played by Katherine Romans), an act born of loneliness that destroys a father’s relationship with his son forever.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Get lost among the pines and palmettos of an ancient maritime forest at Hunting Island State Park, catch a striking sunset over the Beaufort River, and marvel at the columns and sweeping porches of stately mansions on Historic Craven Street.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The show won nine Emmys during its run, including an outstanding comedy series win and an outstanding lead actress award for O’Hara, both in 2020.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The special coins recognize those over the age of 70 for outstanding service to their communities, and the number of recipients matches the age of the monarch.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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