corny

¹

[ kawr-nee ]

adjective

, corn·i·er, corn·i·est.

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

, corn·i·er, corn·i·est.

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 Words From

• corni·ly adverb
• corni·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of corny¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1930–35 corny ¹fordef 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

I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to keep a long-distance relationship going — my primary love language is touch, as corny as that sounds.

From Vox

Chalk it up to me being old and corny, but I associate this event with us coming together.

From The Daily Beast

It might sound corny, but the idea that things really actually might go back to normal is not as comforting as I thought it would be a year ago.

From Vox

To swimming fans, Schmitt is “Schmitty,” easy-going and perpetually smiling, known among teammates for her corny jokes and an easy laugh.

From Time

Plan B, a teenage buddy comedy available on Hulu, isn’t wholly terrible, though much of its forced raunchiness falls flat, and too many of its gags feel corny and tired.

From Time

It was called Windowsill Daydreaming, Rochester, New York, from 1958, and, despite its corny name, it stopped me in my tracks.

From The Daily Beast

But yeah, when we were making it, we did have—without being corny—a sense of it being somehow special, that it would do something.

From The Daily Beast

Natural political ability and penchant for corny dad humor aside, Anthony Weiner has a true talent for lying.

From The Daily Beast

Is it too corny to think of Bailey capturing love with the click of a shutter?

From The Daily Beast

The joke—a corny one— was more like a stunt that high school kids would dream up, and that was the point of it.

From The Daily Beast

Corny walked down the avenue and over the hill, in the direction of the anchorage of the steamer.

From Project Gutenberg

Corny wanted to see Christy, and Mrs. Passford had begun to be uneasy that he did not return at dark.

From Project Gutenberg

"First rate; she is as jolly as though no one ever heard of such a thing as war," replied Corny, with enthusiasm.

From Project Gutenberg

He was not quite satisfied with Corny's manner, or with the little he seemed to be willing to say about the rest of the family.

From Project Gutenberg

"I did not leave Mobile till two weeks later with Corny," added the major.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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