meretricious

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 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 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 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
Adjective
  • The neighborhoods with the most billboards — and the most conspicuous billboards — include Pacific Beach, several stretches of El Cajon Boulevard and the Midway District near the city’s sports arena.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2025
  • And so the quiet in that clubhouse Thursday night, as players sat expressionless at their lockers, looking down at their phones, felt all the more conspicuous.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • What's especially remarkable is that the system can recreate the user's own voice, thanks to a voice cloning algorithm trained on recordings made before the onset of ALS.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
  • OpenAI alone reports that its annual recurring revenue is expected to reach $12.5 billion in 2025, which is a remarkable growth rate for a 10-year-old startup.
    R. Scott Raynovich, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The growing number of robots in its warehouses is yet more evidence of this brilliant truth.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • My graduate school advisor, the brilliant Mary Sheriff, always insisted that scholarship had to follow the object, not the other way around.
    Libby Buck July 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Ocean City officials have confirmed that fireworks — not gunfire — were the source of loud noises that caused panic and sent crowds scrambling on the boardwalk Friday night.
    Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2025
  • To give you an idea of how loud that is, city traffic is 85 decibels, and a siren is 120 decibels.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • The ribbed texture is noticeable, but not too thick, and the contouring on the back and front could not be more flattering.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
  • The team issued an advisory noting that residents in nearby communities may see a noticeable increase in smoke July 5 coming from the southwest flank of the Oak Ridge Fire.
    Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Males are slightly smaller than females and are known for dramatic courtship displays involving rapid wing beats and vocal trills.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Most economists think May’s figures signal a dramatic downshift to come.
    Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • In some photos, Lauren could be seen sporting a wedding ring, sans her striking engagement ring.
    Janelle Ash , Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
  • Fans backed Asuka during a striking battle, which ended with a stiff backhand from Asuka punctuated by a Codebreaker.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • In terms of niche and micro brands, visitors can expect to see outstanding horology from companies such as Armin Strom, Bell & Ross, Biver, Bovet, F.P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, H. Moser &Cie, Ming, MB&F, Parmigiani Fleurier, and many more.
    Roberta Naas, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • On the one hand, Season Four addresses a lot of outstanding emotional issues.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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