Unhackneyed
adj.energetic, thoughtfulliterary
What it means
Fresh because it avoids expressions or ideas worn out by overuse.
Reach for it when Commending language, art, or thought that renews a familiar subject.
Her unhackneyed account of village life centered on tools rather than nostalgia.
Choose between these
6- everyday
an idea feels newly alive
not when can describe recency rather than originality
- everyday
unexpected
the choice surprises the audience
not when a surprise can still be a familiar trick
- warm
resourceful creation deserves emphasis
not when may value novelty over fitness
- professional
the work contributes a genuinely new approach
not when stronger than merely avoiding clichés
- professional
the approach departs from common practice
not when difference alone does not prevent cliché
- formal
newness is the key evaluative point
not when can sound technical or mean book-length fiction
Said against
3- hackneyed
- clichéd
- trite
It naturally appears in
3- unhackneyed phrase
One unhackneyed phrase gave the old campaign a new voice.
- refreshingly unhackneyed
The exhibition felt refreshingly unhackneyed without chasing novelty.
- unhackneyed treatment
Her unhackneyed treatment of loss left room for humor and work.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, adjective: not clichéd or overused opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.