different between trashy vs meretricious

English

Etymology

trash +? -y

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?æ?i/
• Rhymes: -æ?i

Adjective

trashy (comparative trashier, superlative trashiest)

1. Like trash; having low quality, especially of books and films.

   Synonyms: cheesy, mediocre, useless, worthless

   Coordinate terms: camp, corny, tacky

   • 2011, Joey Reynolds, Myra Chanin, The Ultimate Cheesecake Cookbook, St. Martin's Griffin (?ISBN), page 10:

     Take to your bed with a trashy book or meet someone amusing for lunch. Even better, take to your bed with a trashy man or woman who's amusing; but if you knew someone trashy and amusing, you probably wouldn't be feeling depressed.

2. (music) Having a sound like white noise.
   • 2001, Johnny Rabb, Jungle/Drum 'n' Bass for the Acoustic Drum Set, Alfred Music Publishing (?ISBN), page 20:

     I needed to have a cymbal setup that allowed me the flexibility to play with a clean or trashy sound at any time.

References

• trashy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• trashy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• Hartys

English

Etymology

From Latin meretr?cius, from meretr?x (“harlot, prostitute”), from mere? (“earn, deserve, merit”) (English merit) + -tr?x (“(female agent)”) (English -trix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m????t????s/, /?m????t????s/
• Rhymes: -???s

Adjective

meretricious (comparative more meretricious, superlative most meretricious)

1. Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring.
   • 2006, Clive James, North Face of Soho, Picador 2007, p. 164:

     When I lifted my eyes from the page, there was none of the meretricious argument London always offers that the sole real purpose in life is to hustle for a buck.

2. (law) Involving unlawful sexual connection or lack of consent by at least one party (said of a romantic relationship).
3. (obsolete) Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.

Synonyms

• (tastelessly showy): brassy, cheap, flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, tacky, tatty, tawdry, trashy

Related terms

• merit (see also: merit: related terms)

Translations