as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
it's hackneyed, but true—the more you save the more you earn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stereotyped
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hackneyed
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025
Its baleful guitar and hackneyed vocals make the average doubts shared by everyone who has ever been in love seem generic.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
The movie’s a little more hackneyed and obvious now, but its central idea is still an undeniably creepy one: possessed children with pitchforks.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Good news is bad news for investors, as the hackneyed phrase goes.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Adjective
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
Its baleful guitar and hackneyed vocals make the average doubts shared by everyone who has ever been in love seem generic.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
The movie’s a little more hackneyed and obvious now, but its central idea is still an undeniably creepy one: possessed children with pitchforks.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Good news is bad news for investors, as the hackneyed phrase goes.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackneyed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed
Verb
-
This is, of course, a tremendously unfair characterization of the lunch lady, who, given her profession of feeding hungry children, ought to be stereotyped as saintly rather than monstrous.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
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Women are often stereotyped as less decisive than men, but, in reality, studies show that women and men are equally capable of making decisions quickly.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Susan has lifted us up for 50 years; and her arms have not grown tired.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Discard the tired-looking center and separate clumps from the outer edges by hand or use a sharp knife or pruning saw.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With the verbal exchanges seemingly exhausted, the two opponents will now let their actions speak loudly in the ring in Paris.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Already exhausted from working multiple jobs, the situation started to affect her sleep.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Just like credit scores today, which are, at best, meaningful heuristics but are grossly overused, the technology sometimes became a substitute for common sense.—
Brian Hamilton,
Fortune,
1 Sep. 2025
-
The old Formula One adage that the first person a driver has to beat is their teammate may be overused.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The first instinct when bored at work is to search for a new job.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Or is being bored an inherent part of childhood, maybe even one with long-term benefits?—
Jana Pollack,
Parents,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If most of your liabilities reprice simultaneously, you’re overexposed.—
Meelan Gupta,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hackneyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hackneyed. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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