old hat

adjective

1
2
: lacking in freshness : trite

Examples of old hat in a Sentence

I suppose my favorite joke's a bit old hat by now. Making hit movies is old hat for him.
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.
Selling out a concert on one of the hottest, stickiest nights of the summer is old hat for Whiskey Myers. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025 The crocodile tears come easy for Drews, as these kinds of scenes are practically old hat by now. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025 However, a more traditional Alien story doesn’t automatically render Dead Orbit as old hat. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025 Many business leaders continue to practice old hat tricks from the dark ages. Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for old hat

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of old hat was in 1911

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Old hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20hat. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on old hat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!