adjective
hokey
HOH-kee
adjective
1
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 notesIn plain EnglishCheesy, corny, or clearly staged for emotional effect rather than genuine.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
hokey ending
a bit hokey
hokey humor
Word Forms
hokier comparative, hokiest superlative
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The movie's _____ dialogue made the audience groan.
Etymology
From the verb "hoke" (to fake something up for effect), itself from "hokum."