adjective

hokey

HOH-kee

Hokey (adjective) means corny or overly sentimental in a way that feels fake or old-fashioned. Example: “The movie's hokey dialogue made the audience groan.”

adjective

Corny or overly sentimental in a way that feels fake or old-fashioned.

"The movie's hokey dialogue made the audience groan."

"It was a hokey love song, but somehow it still worked."

How to Use Hokey

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCheesy, corny, or clearly staged for emotional effect rather than genuine.

Easily confused with

hoke →

Common pairings

hokey ending a bit hokey hokey humor

Word Forms

hokier comparative, hokiest superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The movie's _____ dialogue made the audience groan.

Etymology

From the verb "hoke" (to fake something up for effect), itself from "hokum."

Rhymes for hokey

ey key hey bey dey ley fey ney Rey grey they joey

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “hokey” mean?

The word “hokey” means corny or overly sentimental in a way that feels fake or old-fashioned. In plain terms, cheesy, corny, or clearly staged for emotional effect rather than genuine.

How do you pronounce “hokey”?

“Hokey” is pronounced HOH-kee (/ˈhoʊki/ in IPA).

How do you use “hokey” in a sentence?

Here is “hokey” used in a sentence: “The movie's hokey dialogue made the audience groan.”

What part of speech is “hokey”?

“Hokey” is an adjective.