hokey

adjective

hok·​ey ˈhō-kē How to pronounce hokey (audio)
hokier; hokiest
1
: corny entry 1 sense 1
the usual hokey melodrama
2
: obviously contrived : phony
the plots are tricky but not hokeyCleveland Amory
hokeyness noun
or hokiness
hokily adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The achilles heel of the series was what now seems like hokey special effects. Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 The bit was mostly chalked up to a PR stunt, in line with the hokey tone of The Naked Gun. Sam Reed, Glamour, 30 July 2025 The analogy might be hokey, but the sentiment makes some sense. Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2025 Reusing the John Williams music from Richard Donner’s 1978 film felt a little hokey as well. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hokey

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hokey was in 1927

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hokey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hokey. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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