rhizoverbBeta
DictionarymeretriciousShowy but without real worth
adjective

meretricious

mair-uh-TRISH-us/ˌmerəˈtrɪʃəs/

Flashily attractive but lacking real value or integrity.

The necklace's peeling gold-colored coating exposes its meretricious beauty.

A gaudy imitation-gold necklace with oversized colorful imitation gems, visibly peeling gold-colored coating and a loose plastic gem revealing a hollow setting: impressive at first glance but cheaply made.
Etymology
meretricLatinprostitute
+iousLatinpertaining to

The pieces originally meant “pertaining to prostitutes.” The adjective shifted to describing gaudy, deceptive allure: an appearance that attracts attention without offering genuine value.

In context

The People Profiles49:41
meretricious Paris of the Second Empire
Karl Marx - The Most Divisive Philosopher in History Documentary

More examples

  • The report offers meretricious charts instead of meaningful analysis.
  • Behind the hotel's meretricious glamour lie cramped rooms and broken fixtures.
  • She rejects the campaign's meretricious promises of instant prosperity.

Forms

meretricious

meretriciousness noun — Showy attractiveness that conceals a lack of worth.

Similar words

tawdry
Emphasizes cheap, tasteless showiness rather than deceptive appeal.
gaudy
Describes excessive brightness or ornament without necessarily implying worthlessness.
specious
Describes false plausibility, especially in reasoning, rather than flashy attractiveness.