meretricious

• adj. 俗气的；娼妓的；华丽而庸俗的

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.

meretricious (adj.)

1620s, "pertaining to harlots," from Latin meretricius "of or pertaining to prostitutes," from meretrix (genitive meretricis) "prostitute," literally "woman who earns money," from merere, mereri "to earn, gain" (see merit (n.)). Meaning "gaudily alluring" is from 1630s. Related: Meretriciously; meretriciousness.

1. A wooden building painted to look like marble is meretricious.

一座漆得像大理石般的木制建筑物外表是美丽的.

来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2. Her room was painted in meretricious technicolour.

她的房间刷着俗艳的颜色。

来自辞典例句