cornball

1 of 2

noun

corn·​ball ˈkȯrn-ˌbȯl How to pronounce cornball (audio)
: an unsophisticated person
also : something corny

cornball

2 of 2

adjective

: corny entry 1 sense 1
cornball humor

Examples of cornball in a Sentence

Noun a movie about a cornball making his way through a world of cynical sophisticates Adjective a cornball musical about farmers a cornball sense of humor
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.
Noun
Unlike the lighthearted cornball of the Banks family that Carlton was in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the reboot reimagines the middle child with deeper issues than simply trying to be cool. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2024 These realist inflections belie a charmingly cornball story. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 July 2024
Adjective
There’s a fair share of cornball dialogue in Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz’s screenplay, as well as an excess of reassuring schmaltz at the fadeout. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024 Another scream for this bad, unabashedly cornball line. Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cornball 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1949, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cornball was circa 1949

Dictionary Entries Near cornball

Cite this Entry

“Cornball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cornball. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!