Hokey (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Effusively or insincerely emotional; "a bathetic novel"; "maudlin expressions of sympathy"; "mushy effusiveness"; "a schmaltzy song"; "sentimental soap operas"; "slushy poetry".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The politician's hokey speech about family values rang hollow after the scandal broke.
- The rom-com's hokey dialogue was cringe-worthy, but somehow still endearing.
- Critics panned the new television show, calling its portrayal of small-town America hokey and overly sentimental.
- The artist's use of clichéd imagery and hokey symbolism detracted from the overall impact of the painting.
- The crowd watched in embarrassment as the singer launched into a hokey ballad, complete with over-the-top hand gestures.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Artificially formal; "that artificial humility that her husband hated"; "contrived coyness"; "a stilted letter of acknowledgment"; "when people try to correct their speech they develop a stilted pronunciation".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The politician's hokey apology for the scandal was met with widespread skepticism.
- Her hokey attempts at being humble only made her seem more arrogant.
- The actor's hokey portrayal of a cowboy was laughable.
- The company's hokey mission statement was full of meaningless buzzwords.
- The artist's hokey explanation of her latest installation was more confusing than enlightening.