1
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
corny violin music during the movie's love scenes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of corny
Like Newell, Abraham is a Black, non-binary performer with an exquisite singing voice, playing a character who has not been given the corny comedy restraints placed on the rest of the cast.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Through the first four episodes, they’re given only the loosest character traits and the corniest dialogue.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
Kate Bosworth is a corny idiot.
—Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
The film’s eccentric flourishes may sound corny, but the writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer ground the premise in a deeply sincere sense of yearning.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corny
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Through the first four episodes, they’re given only the loosest character traits and the corniest dialogue.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
Kate Bosworth is a corny idiot.
—Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
The film’s eccentric flourishes may sound corny, but the writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer ground the premise in a deeply sincere sense of yearning.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corny
Adjective
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But Kore-eda is more interested in a smiley-happy outcome of mutual accord, which is pushed into sentimental overdrive by increasingly cloying slatherings of Bandoh’s score.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
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But there’s another side of Lennon that was almost the sentimental counter- reaction to his own cynicism.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Sixteen-year-old Mary is surrounded by the Silver Star Rangers — an all-male quintet decked out in hokey western shirts, neckerchiefs and cowboy hats.—
John Ficarra,
Washington Post,
8 May 2026
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Once tourist fodder, the musical has remained a byword for hokey commercialism.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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These Amazon finds are made for petite travelers who want to stay comfortable without defaulting to sloppy sweats.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
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Spurs seemed to run out of energy and their passing became sloppy.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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Davis and Head make strong impressions, masking the pedestrian, sometimes cornball dialogue.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Using a flexible bench scraper or hard plastic spatula, fold dough over and onto itself several times, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, to bring together into a mass (dough will feel very wet and sticky).—
Claire Saffitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
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Dusting your hands with flour can also help with the sticky dough.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Marettimo The most remote of the Egadi Islands, tiny Marettimo—accessible via ferry from Trapani—remains delightfully rustic thanks to its limited accessibility, near absence of cars, and lack of large hotels.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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This cliffside property tucked away on Cornwall’s north coast eschews rustic seaside themes for a more urbane design and quirky Ayurvedic spa.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Growing up in Brookville, OH, my family would call this kid corn-fed.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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The Lycra Company has corn-fed stretch.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Corny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corny. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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