What does hackneyed mean?
Hackneyed is an adjective for something that has been used so often that it has lost its freshness, originality, or persuasive force. It is especially used of familiar phrases, clichés, themes, images, and styles that seem predictable or outdated. The term often carries a mildly critical tone: calling a joke or catchphrase hackneyed suggests that it is tired rather than amusing. In literary criticism, it can also identify a convention that has become familiar through repeated use, even when that convention remains effective. The word's history comes from the hackney, a type of London coach; by the nineteenth century, “hackneyed” had developed the extended sense of worn out through use and, by implication, lacking originality. Today it remains a useful and vivid term for language and ideas that have become overexposed.
adjectiveOverused and lacking freshness or originality, especially of a phrase, idea, image, or style.
- Overused and lacking freshness, originality, or effectiveness.
"The film relies on a series of hackneyed plot twists that offer little surprise."
"The advertisement relies on a hackneyed phrase that does little to distinguish the brand."
"Critics dismissed the novel's hackneyed treatment of the romantic hero as predictable and tired."
The word began with a London coach and ended up describing language that has been worn out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hackneyed come from?
Hackneyed developed in the nineteenth century from “hackney,” a hired coach associated with the London area of Hackney. The word was first applied to worn-out coaches and horses and then came to mean worn out through use more generally. Its figurative use for language, images, and ideas that have become stale developed from this older literal sense.
How hackneyed is actually used
Usually slightly disapproving, though it can be used neutrally when discussing literary style or convention. It is especially common in editorial and cultural criticism.