corny

adjective

ˈkȯr-nē How to pronounce corny (audio)
Definition of cornynext
1
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way corny violin music during the movie's love scenes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hokey
tiresomely obvious and unsophisticated the audience groaned as the emcee told one corny joke after another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of corny Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Yamal is most likely your favorite player’s favorite player to watch, to steal a somewhat corny adage. — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026 Where the most hopelessly corny sayings are painstakingly stitched into the equivalent of cloth graph paper by women who believe in the sayings and give the plaques to people who do not believe in the sayings. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 Own the fact that this song is epically corny and sounds like ChatGPT vomited into a microphone. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for corny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corny
  1. sentimental
  2. hokey
  3. sloppy
  4. cornball
  5. sticky
  6. rustic
  7. corn-fed
Adjective
  • What was once a contemporary exploration of horror has become a sentimental aesthetic, with this particular version of 2011 looking ironically idealistic because younger viewers never had to live inside it.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In a sentimental moment before Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, Bellinger caught the ceremonial first pitch from his father, Clay Bellinger, who played for the Yankees from 1999-2001.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of sentimental
Adjective
  • The idea might seem clever, as if the artist has cannily illustrated how the lovey-dovey notion of romance and family is hokey, brain-dead, false.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Its central plot remains conventional, and its demonology — including a hokey expansion involving the mysterious Cult of the Wise Men — routinely functions more as a set piece than as a serious mystery.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
Definition of hokey
Adjective
  • One possibility is that teams are simply playing sloppier football.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But sloppy play extended the fifth inning and put the Dodgers in a hole again.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • His punchy, slightly cornball charm, combined with a winning smile that neatly masked his Nixonian ambition, cemented Mulroney’s status as a modern Canadian politician, someone willing to lead the nation through the 1980s into an uncertain future.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Generations of ski families flocked to his films every fall to get revved up for a new ski season and laugh at his cornball humor.
    — John Meyer, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of cornball
Adjective
  • The lightweight, slightly milky formula sank into my skin quickly without feeling sticky or heavy, leaving behind a luminous finish that made my complexion look fresher almost immediately.
    — Lucy Partington, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Our highlights were the sticky Yabba pot rice and the lamb curry, which were fragrant and delicate but packed a punch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • While there is an on-site restaurant, bar, meeting house, freshwater pool, and gift shop, the grounds themselves are rustic, palm tree-lined, and a refuge for thousands of adorable, unobtrusive hermit crabs.
    — Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The sun set on a perfect fall evening in New York City as emerging writers, directors and producers mingled with industry giants in a rustic Greenwich Village penthouse.
    — Karla Cote, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of rustic
Adjective
  • Growing up in Brookville, OH, my family would call this kid corn-fed.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
  • The Lycra Company has corn-fed stretch.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of corn-fed

Browse Nearby Words

cornucopias
corny
corollaries
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Cite this Entry

“Corny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corny. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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