HOKEY Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

hokey

adjective

ˈhō-kē

Definition of hokey

as in cornball

tiresomely obvious and unsophisticated their father's sense of humor was hokey beyond belief and most people's endurance

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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 hokey 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 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 He's chosen a persona that is hokey, cringe and borderline offensive or downright offensive. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hokey

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hokey

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

Another room over, regulars sat clustered around a long bench under a wall-sized sunset mural, while sports fan pennants decorate the rustic interior.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
And the vindaloo sauce, ruddy and rustic, slowly unfolds with intellectual complexity before delivering a primal punch.

— Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026