Pretentious vs Meretricious - What's the difference?
pretentious | meretricious |
Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
Ostentatious; intended to impress others.
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(obsolete) Of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.
Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring.
* , chapter=10
, title= * 2006 , (Clive James), North Face of Soho , Picador 2007, p. 164:
As adjectives the difference between pretentious and meretricious
is that pretentious is marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction while meretricious is (obsolete) of, or relating to prostitutes or prostitution.pretentious
English
Alternative forms
*Adjective
(en adjective)- Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics.
- Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.
Synonyms
* poseur * See alsoAntonyms
* unpretentiousDerived terms
* pretentiously * pretentiousnessReferences
meretricious
English
Adjective
(en adjective)The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.}}
- 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.