variants
or hokiness
as in corniness
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Recent Examples of hokeyness
The direction of Michael Greif and Schele Williams valiantly tries to contain the material’s hokiness without undercutting the wishfulness that lies at the heart of the story’s broad emotional appeal.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
This is a movie about storytelling that both undermines and embraces the whole idea of storytelling, winking at the hokiness of fairy tales while still believing in them — a satire of the Happily Ever After story and also a prime example of the genre.
—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
This is a movie about storytelling that both undermines and embraces the whole idea of storytelling, winking at the hokiness of fairy tales while still believing in them — a satire of the Happily Ever After story and also a prime example of the genre.
—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hokeyness
Noun
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Even the weddings that work overtime to prevent a kind of corniness from slipping in wind up being twice as corny in their own way.
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Why bother funneling all of that through Hollywood’s pomp and corniness into a movie that’s only half good?
Noun
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Maybe a better balance would’ve kept the finale from descending into schmaltz.
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Heat schmaltz in a large pot to 325 F, ensuring the fat fully submerges the chicken.
Noun
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Grills aren’t only for cooking up burgers and hot dogs; they can also be used to add a rich smoky flavor to vegetables like corn, eggplant, peppers and more.
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The Hulitts are focused on reclaiming their acreage from the corn and soybeans that once grew there.
Cite this Entry
“Hokeyness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hokeyness. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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