corny

adjective

ˈkȯr-nē How to pronounce corny (audio)
Definition of cornynext
1
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way corny violin music during the movie's love scenes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hokey
tiresomely obvious and unsophisticated the audience groaned as the emcee told one corny joke after another

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 corny Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 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 Own the fact that this song is epically corny and sounds like ChatGPT vomited into a microphone. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for corny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corny
  1. sentimental
  2. hokey
  3. sloppy
  4. cornball
  5. sticky
  6. rustic
  7. corn-fed
Adjective
  • For Sombr, being a part of these celebrations—a decade after his passing—was sentimental and special.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Display sentimental items like letters, china, or trinkets creatively, using them in daily life.
    — Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of sentimental
Adjective
  • The idea might seem clever, as if the artist has cannily illustrated how the lovey-dovey notion of romance and family is hokey, brain-dead, false.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of hokey
Adjective
  • The Mets allowed four earned runs in an exceptionally sloppy third inning, losing a 3-2 lead.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But that response, or leadership — a trait teammates and coaches see far more from Herbert than the public — is one of several reasons why the Chargers are supporting their quarterback despite the offense’s sloppy start to the season.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • His punchy, slightly cornball charm, combined with a winning smile that neatly masked his Nixonian ambition, cemented Mulroney’s status as a modern Canadian politician, someone willing to lead the nation through the 1980s into an uncertain future.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Generations of ski families flocked to his films every fall to get revved up for a new ski season and laugh at his cornball humor.
    — John Meyer, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of cornball
Adjective
  • Harnessing a specific type of wallpaper, called NuWallpaper, this creation leaves no sticky residue in its wake and will stick to pretty much anything that’s flat.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Growers commonly use sticky traps, often tapes or red spheres that resemble ripening apples, along with chemical or food-based lures, to attract adult flies.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • While there is an on-site restaurant, bar, meeting house, freshwater pool, and gift shop, the grounds themselves are rustic, palm tree-lined, and a refuge for thousands of adorable, unobtrusive hermit crabs.
    — Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The sun set on a perfect fall evening in New York City as emerging writers, directors and producers mingled with industry giants in a rustic Greenwich Village penthouse.
    — Karla Cote, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of rustic
Adjective
  • Growing up in Brookville, OH, my family would call this kid corn-fed.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
  • The Lycra Company has corn-fed stretch.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of corn-fed

Browse Nearby Words

cornucopias
corny
corollaries
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Cite this Entry

“Corny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corny. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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