hackneyed — lacking originality or freshness; overused and therefore lacking impact
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: lacking originality or freshness; overused and therefore lacking impact
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈhækniːd/
Example Sentences
- The movie's hackneyed plot about a poor girl marrying a rich prince put everyone to sleep.
- My teacher rejected my essay because it was full of hackneyed opening lines like 'Since the dawn of time...'
- Politicians often rely on hackneyed slogans instead of presenting fresh solutions.
hackneyed
ADJECTIVE[/ˈhækniːd/]
lacking originality or freshness; overused and therefore lacking impact

The audience groaned at the hackneyed joke because they had heard it countless times before.

The writer tossed aside the hackneyed script and started a story no one had heard before. (hackneyed → "Been there, seen that.")

The hackneyed slogan was repeated for years until it became outdated.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Hackney, a district in London known for breeding and renting out horses in the 14th-15th centuries. A 'hackney' became a term for a common, ordinary horse available for hire, and by extension came to mean anything commonplace or worn out.
Breakdown
Hackney (a type of ordinary horse for hire) + -ed (adjective suffix) = hackneyed (worn out, commonplace)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The movie's hackneyed plot about a poor girl marrying a rich prince put everyone to sleep.”
“My teacher rejected my essay because it was full of hackneyed opening lines like 'Since the dawn of time...'”
“Politicians often rely on hackneyed slogans instead of presenting fresh solutions.”
“The comedian's hackneyed jokes about airline food made the audience groan.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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