Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Overfamiliar through overuse; trite.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Trite; commonplace; threadbare: as, a hackneyed subject.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Repeated too often.
  • verb Simple past tense and past participle of hackney.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

hackney +‎ -ed

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Examples

  • This along with others is listed under the headword "hackneyed phrases."

    NPR Topics: News 2011

  • Bibliophile Stalker interviews Ellen Datlow, Editor of (among many, many other things) the upcoming anthology The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy: "It's not that the genres have weaknesses or strengths but that the purveyors of genres write well or badly and use the genres ambitiously or in hackneyed ways."

    March 2008 2008

  • Bibliophile Stalker interviews Ellen Datlow, Editor of (among many, many other things) the upcoming anthology The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy: "It's not that the genres have weaknesses or strengths but that the purveyors of genres write well or badly and use the genres ambitiously or in hackneyed ways."

    SF Tidbits for 3/18/08 2008

  • The lyrics that all the world loves and repeats, the poetry which is often called hackneyed, is on the whole the best poetry.

    George Washington Lodge, Henry Cabot 1889

  • Efforts were made at home to procure for him the position of Secretary of Legation in London, which drew from him the remark, when they came to his knowledge, that he did not like to have his name hackneyed about among the office-seekers in Washington.

    Washington Irving Warner, Charles D 1881

  • Efforts were made at home to procure for him the position of Secretary of Legation in London, which drew from him the remark, when they came to his knowledge, that he did not like to have his name hackneyed about among the office-seekers in Washington.

    The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864

  • Efforts were made at home to procure for him the position of Secretary of Legation in London, which drew from him the remark, when they came to his knowledge, that he did not like to have his name hackneyed about among the office-seekers in Washington.

    Washington Irving Charles Dudley Warner 1864

  • Efforts were made at home to procure for him the position of Secretary of Legation in London, which drew from him the remark, when they came to his knowledge, that he did not like to have his name hackneyed about among the office-seekers in Washington.

    Washington Irving Charles Dudley Warner 1864

  • That I was inclined to look beyond the hackneyed was a clear signal sent out.

    The Times of India 2009

  • It sounded kind of hackneyed and derivative to be honest. mangoshakes he's consistently funny. one of the funniest parts from cop trailer. and he didn't have to do something shocking to do it.

    Seann William Scott to Star In Kevin Smith’s Hit Somebody | /Film 2010

Comments

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  • Is this word a good substitute for 'cheesy'?

    What other word can one use?

    January 5, 2007

  • Citation on nympho.

    June 22, 2008

  • I thought this was a reference to the London Riots.

    September 2, 2011

  • lacking significance through having been overused

    Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lecturer's hackneyed advice to "be true to yourself."

    October 19, 2016