Words / C2

HAKN-eed/ˈhæknid/

Hackneyed means worn out by overuse: a hackneyed phrase, hackneyed imagery. Cliched (already in the dictionary as cliche) is a close cousin; old is wider. A hackney carriage is a historical taxi — the adjective for prose is hackneyed. Do not call a precise technical term hackneyed just because experts use it often.

Meaning

Overused, so that it has lost force (a hackneyed phrase).

Examples

• ““At the end of the day” is a hackneyed closer.”
• ““At the end of the day” is a hackneyed closer in speeches.”
• “A hackneyed plot can still hide a fresh sentence; cut the plot, not the precision.”

Good to know

Worn out by overuse (phrases/images). Close: cliched. Contrast: a standard technical term. Historical: hackney cab.

Near in meaning

cliched

New