corny

¹

[kawr-nee]

adjective

cornier, corniest 

1. of or abounding in corn.

2. Informal.

   1. old-fashioned, trite, or lacking in subtlety.

      corny jokes.

   2. mawkishly sentimental.

      a corny soap opera.

   Synonyms: stale, banal, hackneyed

corny

²

[kawr-nee]

adjective

cornier, corniest 

1. pertaining to or affected with corns corn of the feet.

corny

/ ˈkɔːnɪ /

adjective

1. trite or banal

2. sentimental or mawkish

3. abounding in corn

Other Word Forms

• cornily adverb
• corniness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of corny¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1930–35 corny ¹ for def. 2; Middle English; corn ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of corny²

First recorded in 1700–10; corn ² + -y ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of corny¹

C16 (C20 in the sense rustic, banal): from _corn ¹ + _-y ¹

Example Sentences

Although the optimism part might strike some as a little corny, it is actually an important component, Dasgupta says: “The fact is, your mindset matters.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

There’s no CG in the dog’s performance, no corny reaction shots and no use of animal doubles either.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"It's a bit corny, I know, but people come here perhaps not feeling the most positive but they walk away with a smile on their face," he added.

Read more on BBC

There are flawless, easy days when “I still see it as it used to be. It’s days like those, to be corny, I still love L.A., but they’re fewer and fewer.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Ortega knows this reference is corny, but it’s also inescapably apt.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• banal 
• dull 
• hackneyed 
• kitschy 
• mawkish 
• melodramatic 
• old-fashioned 
• sentimental 
• stale