meretricious
12 synonyms and 3 antonyms for meretricious, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Showy and attractive on the surface, but with no real value or worth underneath.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
Etymology
Comes from Latin meretrīcius, which developed from meretrīx (“harlot, prostitute”). That in turn came from mereō (“earn, deserve, merit”), related to English merit, combined with -trīx (“(female agent)”), related to English -trix.
Full origin of meretricious →