1. Attracting attention in a vulgar manner.
2. Plausible but false or insincere; specious: "He had a meretricious argument."
3. Of or relating to prostitutes or prostitution: "They had meretricious relationships."

Believe it or not, but this word is related to the origins of merit; literally, "one who earns money" from Latin mereri, "to earn". The result is that the Latin meretricius (modern, meretricious) means "pertaining to harlots; someone who earns money by means of prostitution".