corny
Adjective: 1. Trite, unoriginal, and overly sentimental: Describing something, especially humor, style, or emotional expression, that is old-fashioned, overly simple, and lacking in subtlety or genuine feeling, often in a way that is considered embarrassing or unsophisticated. 2. Dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality: Describing ideas, statements, or artistic works that are clichéd and boring while trying to seem important or new.
The word "corny" is used to express a negative judgment. It criticizes something for being outdated, overly sentimental in a cheap way, or relying on obvious, overused ideas. It is often used in informal contexts about jokes, movies, music, or romantic gestures. * It typically comes before a noun (a corny joke) or after a linking verb like be, seem, or sound (That song sounds corny). * The comparative form is cornier and the superlative form is corniest.
- Adjective:
- He told a corny joke that made everyone groan instead of laugh.
- The movie's ending was so corny and predictable.
- I find those old love songs charming, but my brother thinks they're corny.
- Sending a dozen red roses might seem a bit corny nowadays.
- "to be corny": This is the standard construction to label something as trite or overly sentimental.
- The dialogue in that play was just too corny to be taken seriously.
- Cultural/Generational Perception: What is considered "corny" can change over time and vary between age groups. Something seen as sincere in one era may be viewed as corny in another.
- Corn (noun, informal): Can refer to something corny, as in "That movie was pure corn."
- Cornball (adjective/noun, informal): Very similar to "corny," describing something or someone as unsophisticatedly sentimental or old-fashioned.
- He has a cornyball sense of humor.
- Cheesy: Informal; implies something is obviously inauthentic or of low quality in a sentimental or stylistic way.
- Kitschy: Refers to art or objects that are considered tacky or in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality.
- Hackneyed: Overused and consequently lacking in freshness or originality (often used for phrases or ideas).
- Clichéd: Based on or containing a cliché; overly familiar and unoriginal.
- Saccharine: Excessively sweet or sentimental.
- Original
- Sophisticated
- Hip
- Cutting-edge
- Understated
- Corny as Kansas in August: An idiom emphasizing that something is extremely corny, playing on the association of Kansas with cornfields.
- That pick-up line was as corny as Kansas in August.
- dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
- bromidic sermons