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.

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