Meretricious
ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs
adjective
apparently attractive but having no real value or integrity
The word 'meretricious' originally comes from the Latin word 'meretricius,' meaning pertaining to prostitutes. Over time, it has come to describe things that are flashy or gaudy on the surface but lack true value or authenticity.
See how James Joyce and F. Scott Fitzgerald use "meretricious", with its meaning, pronunciation and real book examples.
Examples from books
Meretricious finery to deceive the eye.
James Joyce
Ulysses
He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
