meretricious
pronunciation
UK [ˌmerəˈtrɪʃəs]
US [ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs]
-
- adj.
- 俗艳的，华而不实的
- 俗不可耐
Word Origin
meretricious 妓女的，虚有其表的，金玉其外的
来自拉丁语meretrix,妓女，来自mereri,挣钱，赚取自己应得的部分，来自PIE*mer,smer,砍，切，分配，词源同merit,polymer.-trix,表阴性，词源同dominatrix.字面意思即赚钱的女人，用于委婉语指妓女。并由此引申多种贬义词义。最终词源可能同market,mercy.
Example
- 1. There is a difference between a padded bra and silicone implants-the padded bra can be safely removed after it has served its purpose ; the " porn boob " has rendered the bra meretricious , obsolete .
- 加垫胸围和硅胶植入体之间还是有区别的：加垫胸围在用过之后可以安全脱下，“大胸部”的兴起则令它显得俗气、老土。
- 2. When I asked him how the macintosh might fit in his career , he interrupted me even before I got the word out . " I don 't have a career , " he said icily , implying that he was above such meretricious concepts .
- 当我要问及macintosh是否与他的职业相匹配时，他没等我把话出口，就打断了“我没有什么职业”，他冷淡地说，暗示自己冲破这种华而不实的条条框框。
more: >如何使用 "meretricious" 造句