hackneyed
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See commonplace.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hackneyed
Explanation
Hackneyed is a word for language that doesn't pack a punch since it's overused and trite. "Roses are red, violets are..." — enough already?! That's hackneyed stuff. Hackneyed is usually used to describe tired writing, but you can also refer to the hackneyed plots of television sit-coms or the hackneyed jokes of your Uncle Fred. But, most often, you will see hackneyed before the word phrase to refer to a specific cliché that is annoying the heck out of someone.
Vocabulary lists containing hackneyed
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Grade 12, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Last night 'North London Forever' suddenly lost its hackneyed ring and became a rousing anthem.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
This project is noble, though the author’s reliance on old-school routines and hackneyed tropes makes the play seem rather creaky.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2024
“It may seem hackneyed, but the Supreme Court is well aware of the motto, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’” Gershman said.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2024
The Ping-Pong table was surrounded by silent reminders of a singular college career — purple helmets, signed footballs, All-Pac-10 plaques, framed articles from Sports Illustrated and The Seattle Times featuring delightfully hackneyed headlines:
From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 2023
“Fifty years,” I hackneyed, “is a long time.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
