corny

1 of 3

adjective (1)

ˈkȯr-nē How to pronounce corny (audio)
cornier; corniest
Synonyms of corny
1
: mawkishly old-fashioned : tiresomely simple and sentimental
told corny jokes
corny greeting cards
2
: of or relating to corn
3
archaic : tasting strongly of malt
cornily
ˈkȯr-nə-lē How to pronounce corny (audio)
adverb
corniness
ˈkȯr-nē-nəs How to pronounce corny (audio)
noun

corny

2 of 3

adjective (2)

cornier; corniest
: relating to or having corns on the feet

corniness

3 of 3

noun

corn·​i·​ness ˈkȯr-nē-nəs How to pronounce corniness (audio)
plural -es
: the quality or state of being corny
a musical revue marked by banality and corniness

Synonyms of corny

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Adjective (1)

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Examples of corny in a Sentence

Adjective (1) corny violin music during the movie's love scenes the audience groaned as the emcee told one corny joke after another
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Even at his launch, Freddy Krueger is pretty corny, and a little too quick with a locker-room-level pun. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 One critical component of getting the time and place to feel right was recreating the ’70s, rather than leaning on a corny pastiche or tired visual clichés. — William Earl, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Their trip to Chelsea provides one of the season’s comic highlights, corny pedestal speech aside. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 Related Stories Place to Be A corny concept elevated by a major actress. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for corny

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English, from corn corn entry 1 + -y -y entry 1

Adjective (2)

corn entry 3 + -y entry 1

Noun

corny + -ness

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective (2)

1689, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corny was in the 14th century

Rhymes for corny

See All Rhymes for corny

Browse Nearby Words

corn woundwort
corny
Coro
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Corny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corny. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

corny

adjective
ˈkȯr-nē
cornier; corniest
: tastelessly old-fashioned : tiresomely simple or sentimental
corny music
corny jokes

Medical Definition

corny

adjective
ˈkȯr-nē How to pronounce corny (audio)
cornier; corniest
: relating to or having corns on the feet
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