hackneyed 1 of 2

hackneyed

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verb

past tense of hackney
as in exhausted
to use so much as to make less appealing advertisers have hackneyed the word "revolutionary" so much that it now just means that a product is new

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective hackneyed differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hackneyed are stereotyped, threadbare, and trite. While all these words mean "lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest," hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless.

all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

When is stereotyped a more appropriate choice than hackneyed?

Although the words stereotyped and hackneyed have much in common, stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.

views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

When would threadbare be a good substitute for hackneyed?

The meanings of threadbare and hackneyed largely overlap; however, threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.

a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

When might trite be a better fit than hackneyed?

While the synonyms trite and hackneyed are close in meaning, trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity.

"you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

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 hackneyed
Adjective
Trauma is not a hackneyed literary trope in the work of Miriam Toews. Lorrie Moore, The New York Review of Books, 4 Sep. 2025 Writer-director James Agnew’s hackneyed action-thriller is woefully short on action and thrills, and generic enough to suggest it was scripted by AI. Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025 This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow. Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025 Yet these hackneyed qualities are minor aspects of a production that otherwise can be eye-opening and newly invigorating. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed
Adjective
  • Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • At the time, Latinos were often cast in stereotyped roles with heavy accents and largely denied the opportunity to direct features.
    Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Monday after a 2-8 start to the 2025 NFL season and a string of fourth-quarter collapses that left ownership exhausted and fans demanding change.
    Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The team concentrated on stars that had recently entered the post-main sequence phase, having exhausted their hydrogen, and identified just 130 planets and planet candidates orbiting nearby – 33 of which had not been detected before.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
  • But that feels like a tired, outdated characterisation.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Exorbitant displays of wealth like those on Cribs are now commonplace.
    Kim Hew-Low, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
  • In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, home computers became commonplace, and the ways in which early users of the World Wide Web were substantially different from those of today.
    William Jones, IndyStar, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Shea butter and cocoa butter are thick and great ingredients that generally can’t be overused.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • However, both can cause side effects if overused.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And at the risk of sounding trite, love conquers all.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2025
  • But whatever personal motivation might lie behind the film is impossible to see in the final product — not in its boilerplate depiction of grief, not in its trite evocations of the occult.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Similarly, older kids can get bored with products intended for younger children.
    Anja Webb, Parents, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The mathematician John Wallis, recounting the story in 1693, didn’t say whether Rupert wrote a proof or bored a hole through an actual cube.
    Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the end, the Guardians’ leverage arms were overexposed, and their bats ran out of magic.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Without shelter or sufficient support, this group is consistently overexposed to summer temperatures.
    Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hackneyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hackneyed. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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