Illustration of hackney
- hackney 1c
hackney
1 of 3noun
hack·ney ˈhak-nē 
plural hackneys
1
a
: a horse suitable for ordinary riding or driving
b
: a trotting horse used chiefly for driving
c
often capitalized : any of an English breed of rather compact usually chestnut, bay, or brown high-stepping horses
2
: a carriage or automobile kept for hire
3
obsolete : one that works for hire
hackney
2 of 3adjective
1
: kept for public hire
hackney cabs
2
: hackneyed
3
archaic : done or suitable for doing by a drudge
hackney
3 of 3verb
hackneyed; hackneying
transitive verb
1
a
: to make common or frequent use of
b
: to make trite, vulgar, or commonplace
2
archaic : to make sophisticated or jaded
Synonyms
Adjective
- banal
- cliché
- cliche
- clichéd
- cobwebby
- commonplace
- hack
- hackneyed
- moth-eaten
- musty
- obligatory
- shopworn
- stale
- stereotyped
- threadbare
- timeworn
- tired
- trite
- well-worn
Verb
- overexpose
- overuse
- stereotype
- vulgarize
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective she quickly learned to ignore her children's hackney complaints like “It isn't fair” and “Why me?” Verb advertisers have hackneyed the word “revolutionary” so much that it now just means that a product is new
Recent Examples on the Web
Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2018 Peter Hartlaub, Orange County Register, 6 Apr. 2017
Noun
Feinberg is still driving under the same hackney carriage medallion that he was issued in 1975, according to police. Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2018 Verb
Director Zach Braff runs in the opposite direction of these stereotypes and all other things hackneyed, crafting an enjoyable time at the movies. Peter Hartlaub, Orange County Register, 6 Apr. 2017 Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English hakeney, hakenay "a small saddle horse, especially one for hire," probably from hackney, originally a parish and village, where nearby meadows may have been used to pasture horses
Adjective
Middle English hakenay, from attributive use of hakeney hackney entry 1
Verb
derivative of hackney entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing hackney
Kids Definition
hackney
noun
hack·ney ˈhak-nē
plural hackneys
: a horse for ordinary riding or driving
Geographical Definition
Hackney
geographical name
Hack·ney ˈhak-nē
borough of northern Greater London, England population 250,000
hackney 1 of 3
adjective
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull she quickly learned to ignore her children's hackney complaints like "It isn't fair" and "Why me?" Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cliche
- stereotyped
- tired
- hackneyed
- hack
- commonplace
- old
- obligatory
- stale
- usual
- cliché
- cardboard
- typical
- banal
- boring
- cobwebby
- clichéd
- timeworn
- musty
- shopworn
- tiring
- threadbare
- standard
- trite
- well-worn
- dusty
- derivative
- conventional
- dull
- pedestrian
- ordinary
- heavy
- imitative
- moth-eaten
- weary
- stock
- unimaginative
- normal
- leaden
- unoriginal
- tame
- wearying
- dry
- drudging
- stodgy
- bromidic
- old hat
- stuffy
- platitudinous
- arid
- dreary
- drab
- uninspired
- tiresome
- vapid
- jejune
- rote
- wearisome
- ponderous
- routine
- prosaic
- flat
- monotonous
- tedious
- humdrum
- barren
- platitudinal
- pedantic
- uninteresting
- canned
- twice-told
- jading
- old-fashioned
- ready-made
- cookie-cutter
- colorless
- numbing
- undramatic
- tried-and-true
- mind-numbing
- ho-hum
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- new
- unhackneyed
- original
- fresh
- novel
- enlivening
- involving
- animating
- exciting
- stimulating
- energizing
- galvanizing
- interesting
- gripping
- engaging
- unknown
- engrossing
- unfamiliar
- strange
- extraordinary
- unusual
- unclichéd
- atypical
- intriguing
- riveting
- uncommon
- invigorating
- absorbing
- unaccustomed
- unprecedented
- pioneering
- pathbreaking
- unheard-of
- trailblazing
hackney
2 of 3verb
as in to overuse
to use so much as to make less appealing advertisers have hackneyed the word "revolutionary" so much that it now just means that a product is new Synonyms & Similar Words
- overuse
- stereotype
- exhaust
- popularize
- vulgarize
- bore
- jade
- wear out
- overexpose
- overdo
- tire
- coarsen
- deplete
hackney
3 of 3noun
1
as in surrey
Synonyms & Similar Words
- surrey
- tilbury
- stanhope
- hansom
- landau
- brougham
- rockaway
- barouche
- curricle
- phaeton
- victoria
- cab
- tonga
- chariot
- caleche
- stagecoach
- chaise
- calèche
- buggy
- cabriolet
- coach
- buckboard
- coupé
- troika
- roadster
- carriage
- four-in-hand
- tandem
- gig
- diligence
- droshky
- coupe
- carryall
- drosky
- equipage
- dogcart
- caroche
- calash
- post chaise
- hansom cab
- go-cart
- stage
- jaunting car
- trap
- rig
- turnout
2
as in trotter
Synonyms & Similar Words
- trotter
- pony
- racehorse
- warhorse
- black
- packhorse
- chestnut
- roan
- mount
- dobbin
- bronco
- bay
- prancer
- mustang
- palomino
- quarter horse
- mare
- pinto
- sorrel
- colt
- hack
- stallion
- charger
- dun
- foal
- saddle horse
- skewbald
- cob
- gelding
- cow pony
- galloper
- horse
- filly
- cutting horse
- courser
- workhorse
- buckskin
- steed
- skate
- equine
- jade
- equid
- nag
- plug