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, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 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, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 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
-
But when the Champions League anthem played, Spurs were separated from their domestic selves and now capable of remarkable feats.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
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
-
Nemesis is the story of two men on either side of the law, the tale of what happens when an unstoppable force, expert criminal Coltrane Wilder (Noel), meets an immovable object, brilliant police detective Isaiah Stiles (Law).—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
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
-
Based on the study’s results, Tucker’s team believes that survivors of severe trauma may see noticeable changes in their biological systems’ baseline levels.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Moment Mom Realizes What 11-Year-Old Daughter Had Been Doing With Scissors By Jack Beresford Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 A mom was shocked to discover that her 11-year-old daughter had made some noticeable modifications to her school uniform.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The move marks a dramatic shift from Trump’s earlier hardline stance.—
Esat Dedezade,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Donald Trump’s tariff announcement has baffled global leaders and forced markets to reckon with the fallout from America’s dramatic shift in international trade policy.—
The Editors,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The sunset colors of the house’s terra-cotta facade are as striking and ornate as ever.—
Thao Thai,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
-
But what’s most striking on this new photo is at the top of the phone.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There had been outstanding box-to-box operators before him, most notably Bryan Robson at the league’s inception in the early 1990s, then Keane.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Meretricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meretricious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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