hokey

English

Alternative forms

• hokie, hoaky, hoky

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊki/
  • Rhymes: -əʊki
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊki/

  • Audio (Midland US, male voice):

    (file)

Adjective

hokey (comparative hokier, superlative hokiest)

1. (US, colloquial) Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality.

   When asked for his book report, Chad came up with a series of hokier and hokier excuses.

   I thought the windshield wiper blades were a little hokey when I saw their cheap packaging.

2. (US, colloquial) Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental.

   Synonyms: cheesy, kitschy

   Terry hated going to the cinema with Pat; she always chose hokey romantic comedies that made him want to gag.

   • 2018, Ling Ma, chapter 4, in Severance, →ISBN:

     After the chant, we bowed our heads and closed our eyes, as Bob administered the recitation, part prayer and part affirmation—an ever-changing hokey thing that he improvised on the spot.

Related terms

• hokiness
• hoke
• hokum

Translations

phony, obviously of flimsy credibility

• Dutch: nep (nl), flauw (nl), zwak (nl), slap (nl)
• French: bidon (fr)
• German: unecht (de), falsch (de), künstlich (de), verlogen (de)

corny, overly sentimental

• Dutch: melig (nl)
• French: mélo (fr)
• German: schmalzig, kitschig (de), rührselig (de)
• Spanish: cursi (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

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

See also

• Hokey Cokey
• hokeypokey
• hokey-tokey

Further reading

• “hokey”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.