hokier; hokiest
1
: corny entry 1 sense 1
the usual hokey melodrama
2
: obviously contrived : phony
the plots are tricky but not hokey—
Cleveland Amory
Cleveland Amory
Examples of hokey in a Sentence
She gave us some hokey excuse for being late.
their father's sense of humor was hokey beyond belief and most people's endurance
Recent Examples on the Web
Trending Videos While some haunted houses may seem a little hokey — filled with actors dressed as ghouls, goblins, and mad scientists — there are many places around the world with a reputation for being truly haunted.
—Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2023
Racked with hokey voices, and novelty shop side-showery (plus a manic, crowded mix job), the cheese of Gospel Rap hasn’t aged well, though The Rap-Sures did indeed break new ground.
—Jonathan Rowe, Spin, 24 Aug. 2023
Other than her mermaid-red hair, there’s little trace of the hokey seductress of yore; this Ivy is a nerdy, misanthropic loner with a dry monotone and a penchant for preaching about injustice—Plant Daria, complete with the green jacket.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023
Perhaps that’s why The Entity works as a villain, even if the way the movie personifies it with swooshing graphics and eye-like optics is a little hokey.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 12 July 2023
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) A hokey ramshackle mess.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 July 2023
But its preachy and simplistic sides win out, particularly when Beckinsale gets stuck with a hokey curtain speech.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2023
The experience of walking around is not improved aesthetically by the guides, who, in their hokey makeup and robes, evoke a middle-schooler’s haunted house.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 22 June 2023
Not a lot about this movie holds up, but nostalgia is a helluva drug, and the hokey dance Alvin invents while pretending to be cool is making a comeback on TikTok.
—refinery29.com, 1 June 2023
See More
Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2023
Racked with hokey voices, and novelty shop side-showery (plus a manic, crowded mix job), the cheese of Gospel Rap hasn’t aged well, though The Rap-Sures did indeed break new ground.
—Jonathan Rowe, Spin, 24 Aug. 2023
Other than her mermaid-red hair, there’s little trace of the hokey seductress of yore; this Ivy is a nerdy, misanthropic loner with a dry monotone and a penchant for preaching about injustice—Plant Daria, complete with the green jacket.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023
Perhaps that’s why The Entity works as a villain, even if the way the movie personifies it with swooshing graphics and eye-like optics is a little hokey.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 12 July 2023
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) A hokey ramshackle mess.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 July 2023
But its preachy and simplistic sides win out, particularly when Beckinsale gets stuck with a hokey curtain speech.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2023
The experience of walking around is not improved aesthetically by the guides, who, in their hokey makeup and robes, evoke a middle-schooler’s haunted house.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 22 June 2023
Not a lot about this movie holds up, but nostalgia is a helluva drug, and the hokey dance Alvin invents while pretending to be cool is making a comeback on TikTok.
—refinery29.com, 1 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hokey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near hokey
Cite this Entry
“Hokey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hokey. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on hokey
Britannica English: Translation of hokey for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share