cornballs
Overly sentimental types
Cornballs are people considered unsophisticated, overly sentimental, or cloyingly old-fashioned in their humor or manner.
The term derives from corny, suggesting someone who traffics in stale jokes or wholesome earnestness that others find embarrassing.
Those cornballs actually think dad jokes are peak comedy.
The word carries affectionate contempt—cornballs are annoying but harmless, more cringe-worthy than offensive.
Cheaply sentimental or contrived
- schmaltzyExcessively and insincerely sentimental
- sappyExcessively sentimental
- sentimentalExcessively emotional about memories
- tackyVulgar or slightly sticky
kitsch · cliché · trite · overdone · hammy · gushy · saccharine · maudlin
Humorous remarks or stories
- punsJokes using sound similarities
- gagsJokes or silencing devices
- one-linersBrief comedic remarks
- wisecracksClever, mocking remarks
quips · groaners · shtick · zingers · pratfalls · slapstick · buffoonery · clowning
Old-fashioned or courted
- retroEvoking recent past
- vintageQuality from past eras
- nostalgicLonging for the past
- quaintAttractively unfamiliar, outdated
wholesome · innocent · bygone · yesteryear · traditional · folksy · homespun · small-town
hokey
Cheaply sentimental or contrived
- schmaltzyExcessively and insincerely sentimental
- sappyExcessively sentimental
- sentimentalExcessively emotional about memories
tacky · kitsch · cliché · trite · overdone · hammy · gushy · saccharine · maudlin · overwrought
jokes
Humorous remarks or stories
- punsJokes using sound similarities
- gagsJokes or silencing devices
- one-linersBrief comedic remarks
wisecracks · quips · groaners · shtick · zingers · pratfalls · slapstick · buffoonery · clowning · mugging
dated
Old-fashioned or courted
quaint · wholesome · innocent · bygone · yesteryear · traditional · folksy · homespun · small-town · heartland
cornballshipsters
Countercultural trend-chasers
cool cats · sophisticates · cynics · cool kids · edgelords
cornballscynics
Doubters of sincerity
pessimists · misanthropes · curmudgeons · grumps · sourpusses
cornballscynics
Doubters of sincerity
skeptics · nihilists · misanthropes · curmudgeons · cold fish