hackney

1 of 3

noun

hack·​ney ˈhak-nē 

plural hackneys

1

a

: a horse suitable for ordinary riding or driving

b

: a trotting horse used chiefly for driving

c

often capitalized : any of an English breed of rather compact usually chestnut, bay, or brown high-stepping horses

2

: a carriage or automobile kept for hire

3

obsolete : one that works for hire

Illustration of hackney

• hackney 1c

hackney

2 of 3

adjective

1

: kept for public hire

hackney cabs

2

: hackneyed

3

archaic : done or suitable for doing by a drudge

hackney

3 of 3

verb

hackneyed; hackneying

transitive verb

1

a

: to make common or frequent use of

b

: to make trite, vulgar, or commonplace

2

archaic : to make sophisticated or jaded

Synonyms

Adjective

• banal
• cliché
• cliche
• clichéd
• cobwebby
• commonplace
• hack
• hackneyed
• moth-eaten
• musty
• obligatory
• shopworn
• stale
• stereotyped
• threadbare
• timeworn
• tired
• trite
• well-worn

Verb

• overexpose
• overuse
• stereotype
• vulgarize

Examples of hackney in a Sentence

Adjective

she quickly learned to ignore her children's hackney complaints like “It isn't fair” and “Why me?”

Verb

advertisers have hackneyed the word “revolutionary” so much that it now just means that a product is new

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Acceptable modes of transit include a 1969 Mini Cooper, any model of Range Rover that Prince Philip once drove, or a hackney carriage. —Simon Webster, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023

Feinberg is still driving under the same hackney carriage medallion that he was issued in 1975, according to police. —Danny McDonald, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2018

Verb

Director Zach Braff runs in the opposite direction of these stereotypes and all other things hackneyed, crafting an enjoyable time at the movies. —Peter Hartlaub, Orange County Register, 6 Apr. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hakeney, hakenay "a small saddle horse, especially one for hire," probably from hackney, originally a parish and village, where nearby meadows may have been used to pasture horses

Adjective

Middle English hakenay, from attributive use of hakeney hackney entry 1

Verb

derivative of hackney entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hackney

• hackney coach

Kids Definition

hackney

1 of 2 noun

hack·​ney ˈhak-nē 

plural hackneys

1

: any of a breed of compact high-stepping English horses

2

: a carriage or automobile kept for hire

hackney

2 of 2 adjective

1

: kept for public hire

2

: hackneyed

Geographical Definition

Hackney

geographical name

Hack·​ney ˈhak-nē 

borough of northern Greater London, England population 250,000