definitions

hackneyed

[ hak-need ]
/ ˈhæk nid /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hackneyed ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

made commonplace or trite; stale; banal: the hackneyed images of his poetry.

RELATED WORDS

timeworn, corny, trite, banal, stale, threadbare, well-worn, antiquated, common, commonplace, conventional, everyday, hokey, moth-eaten, obsolete, old, out-of-date, outdated, outmoded, overworked

Nearby words

hackly, hackman, hackmatack, hackney, hackney coach, hackneyed, hacksaw, hacktivism, hacktivist, hackwork, hacky sack

Origin of hackneyed

First recorded in 1740–50; hackney + -ed2

Related forms

non·hack·neyed, adjectiveun·hack·neyed, adjective

Synonym study

See commonplace.

Definition for hackneyed (2 of 2)

hackney

[ hak-nee ]
/ ˈhæk ni /

noun, plural hack·neys.

adjective

let out, employed, or done for hire.

verb (used with object)

to make trite, common, or stale by frequent use.
to use as a hackney.

Origin of hackney

1300–50; Middle English hakeney, special use of placename Hackney, Middlesex, England

Related forms

hack·ney·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hackneyed

British Dictionary definitions for hackneyed (1 of 3)

hackneyed

/ (ˈhæknɪd) /

adjective

(of phrases, fashions, etc) used so often as to be trite, dull, and stereotyped

British Dictionary definitions for hackneyed (2 of 3)

hackney

/ (ˈhæknɪ) /

noun

a compact breed of harness horse with a high-stepping trot
  1. a coach or carriage that is for hire
  2. (as modifier)a hackney carriage
a popular term for hack 2 (def. 1)

verb

(tr; usually passive) to make commonplace and banal by too frequent use

Derived Forms

hackneyism, noun

Word Origin for hackney

C14: probably after Hackney, where horses were formerly raised; sense 4 meaning derives from the allusion to a weakened hired horse

British Dictionary definitions for hackneyed (3 of 3)

Hackney

/ (ˈhæknɪ) /

noun

a borough of NE Greater London: formed in 1965 from the former boroughs of Shoreditch, Stoke Newington, and Hackney; nearby are Hackney Marshes, the largest recreation ground in London. Pop: 208 400 (2003 est). Area: 19 sq km (8 sq miles)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012