hackneyed
/ˈhaknɪd
/adjective
(Of a phrase or idea) having been overused; unoriginal and trite: hackneyed old sayings...
- It is littered with hackneyed phrases and lazy commonplaces.
- His boss can take even a hackneyed phrase and let it dangle suggestively in the air until a dozen meanings reveal themselves.
- Maybe it's time to trot out that hackneyed phrase about ‘the pace of modern life’.
Synonyms
overused, overworked, overdone, worn out, time-worn, platitudinous, vapid, stale, tired, threadbare;
trite, banal, hack, clichéd, hoary, commonplace, common, ordinary, stock, conventional, stereotyped, predictable;
unimaginative, unoriginal, derivative, uninspired, prosaic, dull, boring, pedestrian, run-of-the-mill, routine, humdrum
informal old hat, corny, played out, hacky
North American informal cornball, dime-store
rare truistic, bromidic
Origin
Mid 18th century: from the archaic verb hackney (see hackney), meaning 'use (a horse) for ordinary riding', later 'make commonplace by overuse'.