corny

Everyday

1. (informal) Old-fashioned, silly or used too many times to be funny or moving, but often in a sweet way: «a corny joke». tree →
2. Too sentimental, sweet or soppy: «a corny love song». tree →
3. (rare) Of or full of corn. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday talk and stories, «corny jokes» are the groan-worthy ones dads tell and Christmas cracker jokes (What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea!). In reviews of films and songs, «corny» means cheesy. Phrases: «corny joke», «a bit corny», «corny but sweet».

Examples

• Dad's jokes are so corny that we all groan. tree →
• The cracker joke was corny, but we laughed anyway. tree →
• The ending of the film was a bit corny. tree →
• That corny love song makes my sister cry. tree →
• I know it sounds corny, but you're my best friend. tree →
• Why did the scarecrow win a prize? He was outstanding in his field. — That's so corny! tree →

Note

Comparative: cornier, corniest. Informal. Similar: cheesy (informal), soppy (UK), sappy (US). «Corny» is gentle teasing, not a strong insult.