as in hokey
tiresomely obvious and unsophisticated
the show's shamelessly cornball jokes appealed to small-town America
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cornball
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
Another scream for this bad, unabashedly cornball line.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024
Jenna West, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
These realist inflections belie a charmingly cornball story.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for cornball
Adjective
There’s a fair share of cornball dialogue in Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz’s screenplay, as well as an excess of reassuring schmaltz at the fadeout.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
Another scream for this bad, unabashedly cornball line.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024
Noun
Trolling you cornballs for rooting against us is apart of the game.
—Jenna West, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
These realist inflections belie a charmingly cornball story.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for cornball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cornball
Adjective
-
Once tourist fodder, the musical has remained a byword for hokey commercialism.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Somehow the 200-acre eco-theme park avoids being hokey and trite—the biologists and naturalists here take their work seriously.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
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
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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
Adjective
-
Book a private balcony room at the Damascus Old Mill Inn for rustic luxury.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
Guests enjoy high-end amenities such as heated floors, fireplaces, and private patios, alongside a signature experience that includes a complimentary Italian-style continental breakfast delivered to the door in a rustic wooden wine box.—
Jess Hoffert,
Midwest Living,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Even a rival gave kudos — kind of — to the clown.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
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Thor is now a circus clown — not even a funny one at that — relegated to being the butt of Star-Lord's unfunny jokes and the least-serious Avenger.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Not to be overly corny in my delivery, but these sheets are actually cool.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
30 Apr. 2026
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The correlation between the songs and Jim’s life may be corny, but the film clearly presents Morrison’s life as a search for these songs.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All those unsuspecting rubes with no idea what’s about to hit them.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
-
And yet, to holier-than-thou doctors like young Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson), Howard is a cautionary tale: a glutton who can’t control himself, a rube who hasn’t heard of Ozempic, and a lazy slouch who can’t manage to drag himself to aqua aerobics.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Lycra Company has corn-fed stretch.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
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On Tuesday, Sasha De Sola, an old pro in the role, danced it with ravishing self-possession, hardly seeming to need the support of her consort Harrison James, who exuded the corn-fed charm of a linebacker while delivering cleanly polished grande pirouettes.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Using his Hollywood makeup father’s prosthetics, Holliday transforms himself into hayseed-like Chad Powers.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Cornball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cornball. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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