"hokey" meaning in English

See hokey in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈhəʊki/ Audio: en-us-hokey.ogg [Midland-American-English] (note: us) Forms: hokier [comparative], hokiest [superlative]
Rhymes: -əʊki Etymology: From the verb hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”), from hokum. Etymology templates: {{m|en|hoke||to give an artificial feel to}} hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”), {{m|en|hokum}} hokum Head templates: {{en-adj|er}} hokey (comparative hokier, superlative hokiest)
  1. (US, colloquial) Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality. Tags: US, colloquial Translations (phony, obviously of flimsy credibility): nep (Dutch), flauw (Dutch), zwak (Dutch), slap (Dutch), bidon (French), unecht (German), falsch (German), künstlich (German), verlogen (German)
    Sense id: en-hokey-en-adj-Tzeys62x Categories (other): American English, Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect Disambiguation of Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect: 46 54 Disambiguation of 'phony, obviously of flimsy credibility': 97 3
  2. (US, colloquial) Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental. Tags: US, colloquial Synonyms: cheesy, kitschy Translations (corny, overly sentimental): melig (Dutch), mélo (French), schmalzig (German), kitschig (German), rührselig (German), cursi (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-hokey-en-adj-~IG0D5df Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 30 70 Disambiguation of Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect: 46 54 Disambiguation of 'corny, overly sentimental': 4 96
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: hokie, hoaky, hoky Related terms: hokiness, hoke, hokum, Hokey Cokey, hokeypokey, hokey-tokey

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for hokey meaning in English (5.2kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hoke",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to give an artificial feel to"
      },
      "expansion": "hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hokum"
      },
      "expansion": "hokum",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the verb hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”), from hokum.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hokier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hokiest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "hokey (comparative hokier, superlative hokiest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hokiness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hoke"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hokum"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Hokey Cokey"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hokeypokey"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hokey-tokey"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect",
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        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "When asked for his book report, Chad came up with a series of hokier and hokier excuses.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I thought the windshield wiper blades were a little hokey when I saw their cheap packaging.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality."
      ],
      "id": "en-hokey-en-adj-Tzeys62x",
      "links": [
        [
          "Phony",
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        [
          "hoax",
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        [
          "contrived",
          "contrived"
        ],
        [
          "flimsy",
          "flimsy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, colloquial) Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "nep"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "flauw"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "zwak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "slap"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "bidon"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "unecht"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "falsch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "künstlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
          "word": "verlogen"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 70",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Terry hated going to the cinema with Pat, she always chose hokey romantic comedies that made him want to gag.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018, Ling Ma, chapter 4, in Severance",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental."
      ],
      "id": "en-hokey-en-adj-~IG0D5df",
      "links": [
        [
          "Corny",
          "corny"
        ],
        [
          "unbelievably",
          "unbelievable"
        ],
        [
          "sentimental",
          "sentimental"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, colloquial) Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "cheesy"
        },
        {
          "word": "kitschy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
          "word": "melig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
          "word": "mélo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
          "word": "schmalzig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
          "word": "kitschig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
          "word": "rührselig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
          "word": "cursi"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhəʊki/"
    },
    {
      "other": "/ˈhoʊki/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊki"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-hokey.ogg",
      "audio-ipa": "/ˈhoʊki/",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/db/En-us-hokey.ogg/En-us-hokey.ogg.mp3",
      "note": "us",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/En-us-hokey.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Midland-American-English"
      ],
      "text": "Midland American English"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hokie"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hoaky"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hoky"
    }
  ],
  "word": "hokey"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Requests for review of French translations",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊki",
    "Rhymes:English/əʊki/2 syllables",
    "Terms with audio pronunciation in Midland American English dialect"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hoke",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to give an artificial feel to"
      },
      "expansion": "hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hokum"
      },
      "expansion": "hokum",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the verb hoke (“to give an artificial feel to”), from hokum.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hokier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hokiest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "hokey (comparative hokier, superlative hokiest)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "hokiness"
    },
    {
      "word": "hoke"
    },
    {
      "word": "hokum"
    },
    {
      "word": "Hokey Cokey"
    },
    {
      "word": "hokeypokey"
    },
    {
      "word": "hokey-tokey"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "When asked for his book report, Chad came up with a series of hokier and hokier excuses.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I thought the windshield wiper blades were a little hokey when I saw their cheap packaging.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Phony",
          "phony"
        ],
        [
          "hoax",
          "hoax"
        ],
        [
          "contrived",
          "contrived"
        ],
        [
          "flimsy",
          "flimsy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, colloquial) Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Terry hated going to the cinema with Pat, she always chose hokey romantic comedies that made him want to gag.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018, Ling Ma, chapter 4, in Severance",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Corny",
          "corny"
        ],
        [
          "unbelievably",
          "unbelievable"
        ],
        [
          "sentimental",
          "sentimental"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, colloquial) Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "cheesy"
        },
        {
          "word": "kitschy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhəʊki/"
    },
    {
      "other": "/ˈhoʊki/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊki"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-hokey.ogg",
      "audio-ipa": "/ˈhoʊki/",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/db/En-us-hokey.ogg/En-us-hokey.ogg.mp3",
      "note": "us",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/En-us-hokey.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Midland-American-English"
      ],
      "text": "Midland American English"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "hokie"
    },
    {
      "word": "hoaky"
    },
    {
      "word": "hoky"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "nep"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "flauw"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "zwak"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "slap"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "bidon"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "unecht"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "falsch"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "künstlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "phony, obviously of flimsy credibility",
      "word": "verlogen"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
      "word": "melig"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
      "word": "mélo"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
      "word": "schmalzig"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
      "word": "kitschig"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
      "word": "rührselig"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "corny, overly sentimental",
      "word": "cursi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "hokey"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.