- Today's Word
Meretricious
mer-uh-TRISH-us
Definition
(adjective) Attractive in a showy but deceptive or worthless way.
Example
The ad campaign was full of meretricious claims that didn’t match the product.
Fun Fact
Meretricious comes from the Latin word for prostitute (meretrix) and originally referred to superficial allure with no substance. Today, it’s used in critiques of marketing, fashion, or social media culture, where style often outweighs truth. It’s a biting word for anything that tries too hard to impress without backing it up.
(verb) To bear fruit or become productive; to make fruitful or productive
Years of patient investment in the community finally began to fructify, with new businesses and gathering spaces opening across the neighborhood.
Fructify derives from the Latin fructificare — from fructus (“fruit”) + facere (“to make”). It entered English in the 14th century, used first in its literal agricultural sense before quickly extending to describe any endeavor that yields results after a period of cultivation and patience.