meretriciously

9.9

In a showy but cheap and fake way

adverb
/ˌmɛrəˈtrɪʃəsli/

Formal

: de manera ostentosa

The advertisement was meretriciously designed to grab attention, but it offered nothing of real substance.

Examples

His speech was delivered meretriciously, filled with flashy rhetoric but lacking any genuine insights.
A bit of tarnish ornaments a clan, albeit meretriciously, the way "distress" does a questionable table.

Fiction book (1994)
She dressed meretriciously for the party, hoping to stand out with her loud colors and excessive jewelry.

Synonyms

superficially

vsmeretriciously

14 5.3

In a way that only looks at the surface and not deeply

adds a flashing, vulgar show to that surface emptiness, implying falseness

ostentatiously

vsmeretriciously

3 7.9

To act in a way that attracts attention and impresses people

is similar but also carries a sense of vulgar falseness rather than merit

garishly

vsmeretriciously

2 7.6

In a very bright and tasteless way that attracts attention

implies that the showiness also masks emptiness or lack of integrity

pretentiously

vsmeretriciously

Offensive

1 7.6

In a way that tries to seem more important or special than it is

is more about vulgar show that lacks real value rather than just pretense

gaudily

vsmeretriciously

1 6.3

In a way that is too bright and too decorated

is similar but also suggests a false attractive surface without substance

showily

vsmeretriciously

1 7.2

In a way that is bright and attracts attention

is attention seeking too but also suggests moral or value emptiness

flashily

vsmeretriciously

1 7.0

In a way that is bright and meant to attract attention

adds a sense that the attraction is false and lacks substance

tawdrily

vsmeretriciously

9.2

In a cheap, showy way that looks tasteless

is showy while also lacking real value or moral integrity

tackily

vsmeretriciously

Informal

7.6

In a way that looks cheap and not stylish

adds a falsely attractive display that hides lack of real worth

tinselly

vsmeretriciously

7.4

Shiny and showy but cheap, like tinsel

focuses more on flashy display that lacks genuine value or depth

Antonyms

sincerely

152 1.0

In a way that shows true feelings without pretending

How Showy

gaudily

1 6.3

flashily

1 7.0

showily

1 7.2

meretriciously

Formal

9.9

modestly

28 3.1

plainly

2 1.8

Surface Forms

meretriciously positive

Morphology

meretriciously = meretricious (opaque) = meretric + ly

Formation from the adjective 'meretricious' + the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' is a standard, transparent derivation.

Etymology

Meretriciously comes from the Latin word meretrix, which means 'prostitute', a person who sells sex for money. From the idea of showing off to attract people, the adjective meretricious came to mean flashy without real value, so meretriciously means 'in a showy but fake way'.