Meretricious in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples

Meretricious describes something that looks attractive but has no real value, so the shine is a disguise. To use meretricious in a sentence, pair it with a noun such as glamour, charm or argument: “The hotel’s meretricious glamour faded by morning.” The word is an adjective, and it almost always criticises.

Meretricious at a glance

• Meretricious is an adjective meaning showy but worthless; its adverb is meretriciously and its noun is meretriciousness.
• It usually appears before a noun, as in meretricious charm or a meretricious argument.
• The commonest subjects are style, glamour, promises, arguments and display.
• Its tone is negative: the word claims the appeal is false, not merely loud.
• The usual error is mixing it up with meritorious, which means deserving praise.

What does meretricious mean?

Meretricious is an adjective meaning attractive in a cheap, showy way that hides a lack of real value. The Cambridge entry for meretricious gives this as seeming attractive but really false or of little value. A second, older sense links the word to prostitution, which is why it carries a stronger moral sting than gaudy. Use it when the surface is polished and the substance is hollow, and use cheap when price is the only complaint.

One limitation is worth stating plainly. Meretricious does not mean expensive, popular or simply ugly; it means the appeal is a trick. For an honest everyday complaint about decoration, showy is plainer, and meretricious suits a review, an essay or a formal critique where the false value is the point.

How do you use meretricious in a sentence?

Meretricious sits directly before the noun it judges, or after a linking verb as a complement. The adjective never takes an object, and it rarely labels a whole person; it targets the quality that misleads. Where the flaw is muddled reasoning rather than hollow beauty, specious reasoning is the sharper charge.

Meretricious in a sentence: examples across contexts

Meretricious appears wherever surface and value pull apart, yet its register shifts with the setting. The nine sentences below keep the same adjective while moving from a book review to a conversation, and each one names what the shine is hiding.

Meretricious vs specious and gaudy

Meretricious overlaps with two adjectives and matches neither. Specious attacks false reasoning that merely sounds convincing; gaudy decoration attacks bright colour with no taste; meretricious attacks charm that hides emptiness. The target of the criticism is what separates them.

Verdict: choose specious for a crooked argument, tawdry for cheap and slightly sordid display, gaudy for loud decoration, and meretricious when the beauty itself is the lie.

Word forms and grammar of meretricious

Meretricious has three related forms in current use, and it keeps the same meaning throughout. Because it is an adjective, it has no plural, and the noun is built with the -ness ending rather than by dropping a letter.

Common mistakes with meretricious

The errors below all come from the same few traps: a near-twin adjective, a missing noun ending, and a habit of aiming the word at people instead of qualities.

• Incorrect: He gave a meretricious speech that deserved a prize. Correct: He gave a meritorious speech that deserved a prize. Rule: Meretricious means showy but worthless; meritorious means deserving praise.
• Incorrect: The restaurant was meretricious and expensive. Correct: The restaurant was meretricious and falsely glamorous. Rule: The word criticises false appeal, not price, so expensive alone is not meretricious.
• Incorrect: She is a meretricious person. Correct: Her manner was meretricious and insincere. Rule: The adjective usually judges a quality or a thing, not a whole person.
• Incorrect: The meretricious of the design fooled buyers. Correct: The meretriciousness of the design fooled buyers. Rule: The noun needs the -ness ending; meretricious is the adjective.

Practice using meretricious

Work through the six items, then check the reasoning rather than only the answer.

1. Fill the gap: The critic dismissed the palace as ______, all gold leaf and no craft.
2. Choose the better word: The lawyer’s (specious / meretricious) argument sounded logical but broke every rule of evidence.
3. Correct the error: The charity praised his meretricious work for the community.
4. Build a sentence: use meretricious about a glossy magazine cover that promises more than it delivers.
5. Spot the register: which belongs in a formal review — the decor was meretricious, or the decor was a bit much?
6. Rewrite with the noun: The plan looked attractive but worthless. Use meretriciousness.

Answers

1. meretricious — the palace looks rich but has no craft, which is the word’s exact charge.
2. specious — the flaw is false reasoning, while meretricious would attack hollow showiness.
3. The charity praised his meritorious work — deserving praise takes meritorious, not its near-twin.
4. Model answer: The cover’s meretricious glamour sold a magazine with nothing inside.
5. The decor was meretricious — a review keeps the formal adjective and avoids the casual a bit much.
6. The meretriciousness of the plan fooled the investors — the noun carries the same charge.

The bottom line

Use meretricious in a sentence when something looks alluring but hides a lack of worth, and place it before the noun you are judging. The two nuances that decide most sentences are these: the word attacks false appeal rather than high price, and it is formal enough for a review but too literary for casual chat. Where the fault is bad reasoning rather than hollow charm, superficial and specious are the more precise choices.

Frequently asked questions about meretricious

Is meretricious a formal word?

Meretricious belongs to formal, literary and critical writing, where a reviewer or essayist weighs surface against substance. In everyday speech most people say showy, flashy or all style and no substance instead. Writing the party was meretricious in a text message would sound oddly grand, while a theatre review could use it naturally.

What is a simple synonym for meretricious?

Showy comes closest for everyday use, and tawdry works when the display is also a little sordid. Specious is the better synonym only when the fault is false reasoning rather than false glamour. Each substitute drops the moral sting that meretricious keeps, which is why the longer word survives in criticism.

Can meretricious describe a person?

It can, but it usually judges a person’s manner or output rather than their character. A meretricious speaker charms an audience with claims that do not hold up, yet the adjective rarely appears in a plain sentence like she is meretricious. Writers prefer to attach it to a thing such as a style, an offer or an argument.

Is meretricious the opposite of meritorious?

The two words are near opposites that differ by a few letters, which is why they are so often confused. Meretricious means showy but worthless, while meritorious means deserving praise or reward. A meretricious report impresses on the first page and fails on inspection, whereas a meritorious one earns its credit.

Have you ever encountered a piece of writing or advertisement that seemed flashy and attention-grabbing, but upon closer inspection, lacked substance or sincerity? This type of content can be described as “meretricious.”

The term “meretricious” refers to something superficially attractive or alluring, but ultimately lacking true value or integrity. It often conveys a sense of being showy or gaudy, designed to impress at first glance without genuine quality.

7 Examples Of Meretricious Used In a Sentence For Kids

1. The meretricious toy glittered in the sunlight.
2. She wore a meretricious dress with shiny sequins.
3. The magician’s wand had a meretricious sparkle.
4. The princess found a meretricious crown in the treasure chest.
5. The clown’s nose was big and meretricious.
6. The fairy sprinkled meretricious dust on the sleeping princess.
7. The butterfly had meretricious wings that shimmered in the garden.

14 Sentences with Meretricious Examples

1. Meretricious advertisements often attract college students with flashy promises but fail to deliver on quality products.
2. Some students are easily lured by meretricious offers of quick-fix solutions to their academic challenges.
3. It’s important for college students to distinguish between genuine opportunities and meretricious schemes.
4. Many online platforms use meretricious tactics to manipulate college students into making impulsive purchases.
5. Students should be wary of falling for meretricious claims of guaranteed high scores in exams without putting in the necessary effort.
6. In the competitive world of internships, it’s common to come across meretricious offers that do not provide substantial learning experiences.
7. Professor’s can easily spot meretricious research papers that lack depth and critical analysis.
8. It’s easy to be misled by meretricious information on the internet, especially when conducting research for college assignments.
9. College students should focus on developing genuine skills and knowledge rather than resorting to meretricious shortcuts.
10. Student organizations should avoid using meretricious tactics to attract new members and instead focus on meaningful engagement.
11. Being aware of meretricious job offers can protect college students from falling into potential scams.
12. The college administration warns students against attending meretricious events that promise unrealistic benefits.
13. In the fast-paced world of startups, college students should be cautious of meretricious claims of overnight success.
14. It’s essential for college students to cultivate a discerning eye to identify meretricious information in academic sources.

How To Use Meretricious in Sentences?

To Meretricious is an adjective that describes something that appears attractive or appealing but is actually of little value or has no real merit. Here is a guide on how to use Meretricious in a sentence:

• “The company’s marketing campaign was criticized for its meretricious promises that did not reflect the true quality of their products.”

• “Despite the meretricious decorations, the restaurant’s food was bland and unimpressive.”

• “The meretricious charm of the salesman convinced many customers to purchase overpriced and inferior products.”

• “She quickly realized that his compliments were merely meretricious flattery to win her favor.”

• “The movie’s meretricious special effects could not make up for its weak plot and poor acting.”

Remember, using Meretricious in a sentence can help convey the idea of something that looks good on the surface but lacks substance or true value underneath. It’s a perfect word to use when you want to describe something as flashy or attractive but ultimately superficial. Practice using Meretricious in different contexts to enhance your vocabulary and writing skills.

Conclusion

In conclusion, meretricious sentences have a superficial charm or attractiveness that is intended to deceive or manipulate. These sentences often use flashy or insincere language to mask their lack of substance or authenticity. It is important to be cautious of meretricious sentences, as they can be misleading and may not accurately convey the truth or intended meaning. When encountering such sentences, it is advisable to look beyond their facade and seek out genuine and honest communication that is based on facts and sincerity. By being aware of the characteristics of meretricious sentences, we can better navigate through language to uncover the true meaning behind the words.