hackneyed

[ hak-need ]

adjective

1. made commonplace or trite; stale; banal:

   the hackneyed images of his poetry.

   Synonyms: overdone

hackneyed

/ ˈhæknɪd /

adjective

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

Other Words From

• non·hackneyed adjective
• un·hackneyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hackneyed¹

First recorded in 1740–50; hackney + -ed ²

Synonym Study

See commonplace.

Example Sentences

Wears said she disapproved of Trump’s “hackneyed anecdotes from the locker room,” telling ABC News his speech was “inappropriate” and a waste of voters’ time.

From Salon

Early reviews called her music "hackneyed", "lightweight" and "emotionless".

From BBC

Juicy loves Tedra not in the Freudian manner of hackneyed “Hamlet” productions but in the protective way of an outcast who wishes to shield his fabulous mom from the blows of life.

From Los Angeles Times

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

“It may seem hackneyed, but the Supreme Court is well aware of the motto, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’” Gershman said.

From Salon

Related Words

• banal
• corny
• stale
• threadbare
• timeworn
• trite
• well-worn