hokey

Death scenes meant to be tearjerkers seem hokey instead; the tension surrounding the prospect of love leading to death never feels genuine; and the jokes are terrible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

But in “Event Horizon,” Neill avoids hokeyness in what could otherwise be an extremely hokey film, finding the emotional center in a character whose inner demons become real-life manifestations of Hell.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

The song would only become even more synonymous with the president in 2022, when his hokey dance often done to the classic became so viral that athletes around the world began imitating it.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

By the end of the week the bond markets were more than nervous as a result of the hokey cokey over income tax.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025

My socks balled up on the hardwood floor made a greater statement than any of their hokey claptrap with the carefully matted frames and big curly signatures in the lower left-hand corners.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

As with Disneyland, the Trader Joe’s version of “acting” tends to be a bit hokier and altogether more crass than the Hollywood version.

From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2016

Peña is more limited by the script, but together they bring a dignity to their roles that tempers some of the hokier plot points.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 4, 2014

Dichen Lachman plays a dinosaur smuggler who, in a baffling reprisal of “Fallen Kingdom’s” hokiest conceit, wields a laser pointer that commands dinos to attack its targets.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 8, 2022

“Manifest,” alas, beelines thoughtlessly toward its hokiest idea, when some of the returning passengers discover they’ve acquired psychic powers.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 23, 2018

“We were fearful people would say it was the hokiest thing they ever saw,” Prieb said.

From New York Times ● Oct. 10, 2011

In fact, they are the hokiest team in baseball.

From Time Magazine Archive