hoarier; hoariest
1
a
: no longer humorous, interesting, or meaningful due to repetition over time : hackneyed
hoary clichés
You can't fight city hall, says the hoary adage.—
Jack Kroll
Jack Kroll
b
: extremely old : ancient
hoary legends
Of all the hoary old monsters, dragons are the most persistent, appearing everywhere from mall crystal shops to Disney movies.—Donald G. McNeil, Jr.
Donald G. McNeil, Jr.2
a
: gray or white with or as if with age
bowed his hoary head
The trees in the orchard were hoary with lichen …—Christine Schutt
Christine Schutt
b
botany
: covered with fine grayish or whitish hairs : canescent
hoary leaves
hoariness
noun
Did you know?
Hoary is an Old English word that comes from hoar, which shares its meanings. Both words refer to anything that is old or that has the whitened look of age.
Examples of hoary in a Sentence
a hoary tale of revenge
He bowed his hoary head.
a man hoary with age
Recent Examples on the Web
Sometimes a good story or excellent execution can overcome hoary material.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2025
His performance in Top Gun proves the hoary old thespian adage that there are no small parts, just actors who aren’t as good as Val Kilmer.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
Every year, the show’s producers try to think of new ways to celebrate movies, but the hoariest methods are usually best.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
Every year, the show’s producers try to think of new ways to celebrate movies, but the hoariest methods are usually best.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2025
His performance in Top Gun proves the hoary old thespian adage that there are no small parts, just actors who aren’t as good as Val Kilmer.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
Every year, the show’s producers try to think of new ways to celebrate movies, but the hoariest methods are usually best.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
Every year, the show’s producers try to think of new ways to celebrate movies, but the hoariest methods are usually best.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoary
Cite this Entry
“Hoary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoary. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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