hackneyed

[ hak-need ]
/ ˈhæk nid /

adjective

made commonplace or trite; stale; banal: the hackneyed images of his poetry.

Origin of hackneyed

First recorded in 1740–50; hackney + -ed2

SYNONYMS FOR hackneyed

overdone, overused.

synonym study for hackneyed

OTHER WORDS FROM hackneyed

non·hack·neyed, adjective un·hack·neyed, adjective

Definition for hackneyed (2 of 2)

hackney
[ hak-nee ]
/ ˈhæk ni /

noun, plural hack·neys.

adjective

let out, employed, or done for hire.

verb (used with object)

to make trite, common, or stale by frequent use.
to use as a hackney.

Origin of hackney

1300–50; Middle English hakeney, special use of placename Hackney, Middlesex, England

OTHER WORDS FROM hackney

hack·ney·ism, noun

Example sentences from the Web for hackneyed

British Dictionary definitions for hackneyed (1 of 3)

hackneyed
/ (ˈhæknɪd) /

adjective

(of phrases, fashions, etc) used so often as to be trite, dull, and stereotyped

British Dictionary definitions for hackneyed (2 of 3)

hackney
/ (ˈhæknɪ) /

noun

a compact breed of harness horse with a high-stepping trot
  1. a coach or carriage that is for hire
  2. (as modifier)a hackney carriage
a popular term for hack 2 (def. 1)

verb

(tr; usually passive) to make commonplace and banal by too frequent use

Derived forms of hackney

hackneyism, noun

Word Origin for hackney

C14: probably after Hackney, where horses were formerly raised; sense 4 meaning derives from the allusion to a weakened hired horse

British Dictionary definitions for hackneyed (3 of 3)

Hackney
/ (ˈhæknɪ) /

noun

a borough of NE Greater London: formed in 1965 from the former boroughs of Shoreditch, Stoke Newington, and Hackney; nearby are Hackney Marshes, the largest recreation ground in London. Pop: 208 400 (2003 est). Area: 19 sq km (8 sq miles)