Skip to content

Table of Contents

The word for today is…

meretricious (adjective) -

1 formal + disapproving
a: tastelessly showy and falsely attractive
b: superficially (see superficial sense 2) significant : pretentious
2: of or relating to a person who engages in sex acts and especially sexual intercourse in exchange for pay

Source : Merriam-Webster

Etymology : Meretricious can be traced back to the Latin verb merēre, meaning "to earn, gain, or deserve." It shares this origin with a small group of other English words, including merit, meritorious, and emeritus. But, while these words can suggest some degree of honor or esteem, meretricious is used to suggest pretense, insincerity, and cheap or tawdry ornamentation. The Latin merēre is at the root of the Latin noun meretrīx, meaning "woman who engages in sex for financial considerations," and its related adjective meretrīcius ("of or relating to such a woman"). The Latin meretrīcius entered into English as meretricious in the 17th century. Shortly after being adopted, meretricious also began to be used to indicate things which are superficially attractive but which have little or no value or integrity.

If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Face of the Day

Face of the Day

Rebuilding the integrity of the police was listed as a “mission-critical” challenge following a 2025 Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report that revealed integrity failings across a small group of senior individuals.

Members Public