CORNBALL Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

cornball 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cornball

as in hokey

tiresomely obvious and unsophisticated the show's shamelessly cornball jokes appealed to small-town America

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cornball

2 of 2

noun

ˈkȯrn-ˌbȯl

as in hick

an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country a movie about a cornball making his way through a world of cynical sophisticates

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of cornball

Adjective

Davis and Head make strong impressions, masking the pedestrian, sometimes cornball dialogue. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026 With a wry chuckle, McCartney chalks up these cornball elements of his TV specials and other outings to the perils of being surrounded by yes people. — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 25 Feb. 2026

Noun

Sure, the execution of that effort in an Olympic opening ceremony can tilt to cornball. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026 The Gallery, which also includes brief performance interludes, is clearly eager to avoid the cornball, lowbrow associations of its genre, like Medieval Times. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cornball

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cornball

Adjective

Its central plot remains conventional, and its demonology — including a hokey expansion involving the mysterious Cult of the Wise Men — routinely functions more as a set piece than as a serious mystery.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
Like the hokey gag of Lineker pretending to introduce the show before Woods interrupted.

— Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Definition of hokey

Noun

When Johnson was vice president and visiting Europe, there were reports filed by these British ambassadors in several countries that basically made fun of him as a hick.

— Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
So a bunch of hicks from Topeka were left up to our own devices of going down to Robert Hall and finding something that might be kind of cool.

— Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of hick

Adjective

Loco Coyote is known for its casual and rustic atmosphere, barbecue comfort food and cold drinks.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
But the best skillets, with the right presentation, are a hosting choice that can bring a rustic, convivial touch to a family-style meal.

— Clara Hillis, Architectural Digest, 22 July 2026

Definition of rustic

Noun

This take on the mad clown of Gotham is less Jack Nicholson and George Romero, choosing a more stoic approach inspired by Conrad Veidt silent films and German expressionism.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Mimi said one customer had a picture of a scary clown in his profile and his name listed as MURDER, in all caps.

— Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2026

Definition of clown

Adjective

Yamal is most likely your favorite player’s favorite player to watch, to steal a somewhat corny adage.

— Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Where the most hopelessly corny sayings are painstakingly stitched into the equivalent of cloth graph paper by women who believe in the sayings and give the plaques to people who do not believe in the sayings.

— Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of corny

Noun

Dominique is in the ensemble as is a blond rube named Hunter (Kristine Froseth) who shows up at Elle’s doorstep in mall-wear denim and then upgrades to desperate, cleavage-baring sequins.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
The good news is that this future of an AI takeover is looking increasingly unlikely, at least at the industry’s current pace, a fact which is now dawning on some of the biggest rubes and dupes in the corporate world.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 8 July 2026

Definition of rube

Noun

Duke Slater, pal of Jim Nabors’ hayseed Gomer Pyle on the ’60s sitcom of that name, died of natural causes today at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Baby Billy’s first full-frontal scene is more a testament to Walton Goggins’s incredible hayseed bravado in the rule.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025

Definition of hayseed

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cornballs

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“Cornball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cornball. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cornball

adjective

noun

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