Words / C2

HORR-ee/ˈhɔːri/

Hoary means very old and overused, or grey/white with age (literary): a hoary cliché, hoary old joke, hoary beard. Old and stale are everyday; ancient can praise. Hoard (a store of things) is a lookalike. Do not call a still-correct 1990s protocol hoary just because it is dated in style.

Meaning

Very old and overused; also grey or white with age (literary).

Examples

• “A hoary joke about “kids these days” is not a dropout analysis.”
• “Stale is everyday for jokes. Ancient can be respectful. A hoard is a stockpile. Grey-haired is the literal sense. A replicable method can be old and still the right one.”

Good to know

Ancient and stale (or grey-haired). Everyday: stale / old. Mix-up: hoard (a store). Old and correct is not hoary; a recycled sneer is.

Near in meaning

stale

New