HACKNEYED Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'hackneyed' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hackneyed are stereotyped , threadbare , and trite . While all these words mean "lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest," hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless. // all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

Q: When is 'stereotyped' a more appropriate choice than 'hackneyed'?

Although the words stereotyped and hackneyed have much in common, stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form. // views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

Q: When would 'threadbare' be a good substitute for 'hackneyed'?

The meanings of threadbare and hackneyed largely overlap; however, threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted. // a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

Q: When might 'trite' be a better fit than 'hackneyed'?

While the synonyms trite and hackneyed are close in meaning, trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity. // "you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

hackneyed 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhak-nēd

Definition of hackneyed next

as in cliche

used or heard so often as to be dull it's hackneyed, but true—the more you save the more you earn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hackneyed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of hackney

as in stereotyped

to use so much as to make less appealing advertisers have hackneyed the word "revolutionary" so much that it now just means that a product is new

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the adjective hackneyed differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hackneyed are stereotyped, threadbare, and trite. While all these words mean "lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest," hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless.

all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

When is stereotyped a more appropriate choice than hackneyed?

Although the words stereotyped and hackneyed have much in common, stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.

views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

When would threadbare be a good substitute for hackneyed?

The meanings of threadbare and hackneyed largely overlap; however, threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.

a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

When might trite be a better fit than hackneyed?

While the synonyms trite and hackneyed are close in meaning, trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity.

"you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

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 hackneyed

Adjective

Any positive lesson here is lost in all the hackneyed jokes, and by the end the movie falls apart entirely. —

Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 May 2024 Yet somehow, the shell company set up to convey his hackneyed rants reached a $9 billion valuation, putting it up there with Etsy. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024 This is most keenly felt in the second half, when the author’s command of his subject slips and the story rushes to its hackneyed conclusion. —

Michael Greenberg, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The show's cringing-while-laughing setup would be too much for some viewers — but many others found watching the gang guessing ethnicities written on index cards taped to their foreheads to be a welcome change to the hackneyed humor of the contemporary sitcom landscape. —

Erin Strecker, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hackneyed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hackneyed

Adjective

Tragedies can be examined by those outside of its sphere of destruction, but the groundswell of feeling from Mexican viewers and critics is that there was little or no care taken to understand the cultural grief beyond stereotyped spectacle.

— Lucy Ford, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
Founded by artists who grew up in Maryvale, Salcido said the purpose of Labor is to be the bridge that shows the artistic capacity and potential of Maryvale because the neighborhood is too often stereotyped, underrepresented and ignored.

— David Ulloa Jr, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024