VCR Lesson 7 Presentation
Lauren Engle
Fill in the blank
Ansley's mother-in-law decorates her house with many _________ knickknacks that visitors find distracting and tacky.
What's in the Blank?
meretricious (adj.)
~1. attention-getting in a vulgar way; tawdry
~2. insincere; based on pretense or deception
Roots
mereo, merere, merui, meritum <L. "to earn," "to deserve," "to merit"
Don't Confuse it with...
meretricious is often confused with meritorious
~ meritorious: praiseworthy; deserving of reward or esteem
think MERIT-orious to help you remember that it means praiseworthy
Synonyms
Definition #1:
- flashy
- tasteless
- tawdry
- cheap
- showy
Definition #2:
- insincere
- counterfeit
- sham
- misleading
- phony
Antynoms
Definition #1:
- tasteful
- conservative
- understated
Definition #2:
- sincere
- genuine
- authentic
Lets Practice!
Choose the sentence below in which the word in bold is used correctly:
A) Adding those flamboyant earrings to such a colorful skirt gives your entire outfit a meretricious effect.
B) Jessica's home was decorated with meretricious and classy furniture.
C) As the editor of a prestigious fashion magazine, Claudia will fire any staff members who dress or behave in a meretricious way.
D) Even though the lyrics of his new song have a meretricious crudeness, the melody is catchy enough to attract many listeners.
correct answer: B
~ the furniture is classy, not trashy