corny

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈkȯr-nē 

cornier; corniest

1

: mawkishly old-fashioned : tiresomely simple and sentimental

told corny jokes

corny greeting cards

2

: of or relating to corn

3

archaic : tasting strongly of malt

cornily

ˈkȯr-nə-lē 

adverb

corniness

ˈkȯr-nē-nəs 

noun

corny

2 of 2

adjective (2)

cornier; corniest

: relating to or having corns on the feet

Synonyms of corny

Adjective (1)

• sentimental
• sloppy
• sticky

Examples of corny in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

corny violin music during the movie's love scenes

the audience groaned as the emcee told one corny joke after another

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The novel also suggests—mumblingly, without making eye contact, not wanting to be corny about it—that one’s own self becomes a little less hideous the more one attends to other selves. —Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

The novel also suggests—mumblingly, without making eye contact, not wanting to be corny about it—that one’s own self becomes a little less hideous the more one attends to other selves. —Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Sprinkles was known for, among other things, inventive and somewhat corny methods of customer delivery. —Suhauna Hussain The Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 18 Jan. 2026

It’s been a staple of awards shows for years, a corny bit designed mostly to bolster confidence in the voting results. —Susan Campos, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English, from corn corn entry 1 + -y -y entry 1

Adjective (2)

corn entry 3 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective (2)

1689, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for corny

• horny
• thorny

Kids Definition

corny

adjective

ˈkȯr-nē

cornier; corniest

: tastelessly old-fashioned : tiresomely simple or sentimental

corny music

corny jokes

Medical Definition

corny

adjective

ˈkȯr-nē 

cornier; corniest

: relating to or having corns on the feet