Definition of Hackneyed:
Hackneyed (adjective): Lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite.
Synonyms: clichéd, overused, stale, trite
Antonyms: original, fresh, novel, innovative
Memory Tip: Think of “hackneyed” as an old, worn-out phrase that’s been used so many times it has lost its impact, like a song you’ve heard too often.
Conversation and Short Story Examples
Here is how “hackneyed” can be used in a casual conversation:
- Emma: What did you think of the speech?
James: It was full of hackneyed phrases. I’ve heard those same lines a hundred times before.
Let’s see how “hackneyed” can be used in a narrative context:
- The movie, despite its big budget and star-studded cast, was riddled with hackneyed clichés. From the predictable love triangle to the overused hero’s journey, there wasn’t a single scene that felt fresh or original. Critics were quick to point out that the film relied too heavily on hackneyed tropes, leaving audiences bored and unimpressed. The director’s attempt to recreate the magic of past blockbusters resulted in a film that was nothing more than a collection of hackneyed moments strung together.
Everyday Conversations
Here are examples of how to use “hackneyed” in a sentence during everyday conversations. Each sentence using “hackneyed” shows how it might naturally come up in casual dialogue:
- The book’s plot was interesting, but the dialogue was full of hackneyed expressions.
- I’m tired of hearing that hackneyed joke—can’t we come up with something new?
- His proposal was filled with hackneyed ideas that didn’t excite the audience.
Business and Professional Settings
Here are sentences using “hackneyed” in a professional setting. These examples of “hackneyed” in a sentence demonstrate how it can be applied in business and work environments:
- The marketing team was advised to avoid hackneyed slogans and come up with something original.
- During the presentation, the use of hackneyed buzzwords made the pitch seem less credible.
Educational and Academic Examples
These sentences show how “hackneyed” can be used in academic settings. Each sentence with “hackneyed” emphasizes its relevance in educational and scholarly contexts:
- The professor warned against using hackneyed phrases in essays, encouraging students to think more creatively.
- The student’s paper was well-researched, but the conclusions were based on hackneyed ideas that lacked originality.
Social and Cultural Contexts
Here are examples of “hackneyed” in a sentence within social and cultural contexts. Each sentence for “hackneyed” highlights its application in discussions about society and culture:
- The artist’s work was criticized for being hackneyed, relying too much on familiar themes and lacking innovation.
- The show’s humor felt hackneyed, with recycled jokes that failed to resonate with the audience.
Part of Speech
Explore how “hackneyed” is used in different parts of speech:
- Adjective: The speech was hackneyed, offering nothing new or inspiring.
- Adverb (Hackneyedly): The ideas were hackneyedly presented, lacking creativity and freshness.
Tenses
Examples of “hackneyed” used in different tenses:
- Past Tense: The film was hackneyed, filled with clichés and predictable plot twists.
- Present Tense: The speech sounds hackneyed, as if the speaker has said it many times before.
- Future Tense: If they don’t innovate, their ideas will become hackneyed and lose their impact.
Moods
How “hackneyed” is used in different moods:
- Imperative Mood: Don’t use hackneyed expressions—be original in your speech!
- Interrogative Mood: Why rely on hackneyed phrases when you can come up with something new?
- Exclamatory Mood: How hackneyed this idea is—it’s been done to death!
Voices
How “hackneyed” is used in different voices:
- Active Voice: The writer avoided hackneyed phrases to keep the story fresh and engaging.
- Passive Voice: The phrases were considered hackneyed by the critics, diminishing the impact of the work.
Literary Devices
How “hackneyed” can be used in various literary devices:
- Metaphor: The story was a hackneyed old tune, played so often that it had lost all its charm.
- Simile: His speech was as hackneyed as a broken record, repeating the same tired lines over and over.
- Personification: The hackneyed plot seemed to drag its feet, struggling to keep the audience’s interest.
- Alliteration: The hackneyed humor hardly held the audience’s attention.

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