meretricious

Meaning

Adjective

• Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring.
• Involving unlawful sexual connection or lack of consent by at least one party (said of a romantic relationship).
• Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.

Related

Similar words

• brassy, cheap, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy

Origin

• From Latin meretrīcius, from meretrīx, from mereō (English merit) + -trīx (English -trix).