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Hackneyed: meaning, definitions and examples

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hackneyed

 

[ ˈhækniɪd ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

overused expression

Lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite.

Synonyms

banal, corny, platitudinous, stale, trite

Examples of usage

  • It's a hackneyed phrase, but it's true: less is more.
  • The film's plot is predictable and hackneyed.
  • The writer's style is often criticized for being hackneyed and cliched.
Context #2 | Adjective

overused idea

Lacking in originality; overused to the point of being uninteresting.

Synonyms

commonplace, stale, threadbare, timeworn, unoriginal

Examples of usage

  • The hackneyed theme of good versus evil was not well executed in the story.
  • Her presentation was filled with hackneyed phrases that failed to capture the audience's attention.

Translations

Translations of the word "hackneyed" in other languages:

🇵🇹 cliché

🇮🇳 घिसा-पिटा (ghisa-pita)

🇩🇪 abgedroschen

🇮🇩 klise

🇺🇦 заїжджений

🇵🇱 oklepany

🇯🇵 陳腐な (chinpun na)

🇫🇷 banal

🇪🇸 trillado

🇹🇷 bayat

🇰🇷 진부한 (jinbuhan)

🇸🇦 مبتذل (mubtadhil)

🇨🇿 otřepaný

🇸🇰 otrepaný

🇨🇳 陈腐的 (chénfǔ de)

🇸🇮 iztrošen

🇮🇸 klisjukenndur

🇰🇿 жауыр болған (zhauyr bolgan)

🇬🇪 გადაღლილი (gadaɣlili)

🇦🇿 təkrarlanan

🇲🇽 trillado

Etymology

The word 'hackneyed' originated from the term 'hackney,' which originally referred to a horse for hire or a carriage for hire in the 16th century. Over time, 'hackneyed' evolved to mean overused or lacking originality. The term has been used in English literature since the 18th century to describe tired, cliched expressions or ideas.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #25,528, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.