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 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 As befits the title, everything about American Classic feels old-fashioned, if not downright hokey. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hokey

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hokey

Adjective

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
Davis and Head make strong impressions, masking the pedestrian, sometimes cornball dialogue.

— Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of cornball

Adjective

View gallery - 7 images This timber retreat is small on home comforts but big on simple rustic charm.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2026
The three-bedroom main house adopts a farmhouse-chic aesthetic, with barnwood siding and reclaimed bridge timbers adding a rustic touch to the steel doors and windows.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of rustic

Adjective

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
Being the kind of person who adorns themselves compulsively opens you up to a slew of corny metaphors that, against your will, feel deeply relevant to you.

— Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026