hokey

English

Alternative forms

hokie, hoaky, hoky

Etymology

From the verb hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”), from hokum.

Pronunciation

(US) IPA: /ˈhoʊki/

Rhymes: -əʊki

Adjective

hokey (comparative hokier, superlative hokiest)

(US, colloquial) phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality
- When asked for his book report, Chad came up a series of hokier and hokier excuses, until he finally admitted that he hadn’t done it at all.
- I thought the bargain-priced windshield wiper blades were a little hokey when I saw their cheap packaging, but when they flew off the end of the wiper during a rainstorm, I knew for sure.
(US, colloquial) corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental
- Terry hated going to the cinema with Pat, as Pat always chose hokey romantic comedies that made Terry want to gag.

Synonyms

(fake): phony
(sentimental): cheesy, corny, kitschy

Related terms

hokiness
hoke
hokum

Translations

phony, obviously of flimsy credibility

Dutch: nep (nl), flauw (nl), zwak (nl), slap (nl)

French: bidon (fr)

corny, overly sentimental

Dutch: melig (nl)
French: mélo (fr)

German: schmalzig
Spanish: cursi (es) pl

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: ^{(please verify)} bidon (fr), ^{(please verify)} cucul la praline (fr)