adjective /ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs,ˌmɛrəˈtrɪʃəs/
Tastelessly gaudy; superficially attractive but having no substance; falsely alluring.
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.
Wikipedia foundation.