hoke: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowInformal
Quick answer
What does “hoke” mean?
To act or perform in an excessively sentimental, melodramatic, or exaggerated manner.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To act or perform in an excessively sentimental, melodramatic, or exaggerated manner; to overplay emotions.
To embellish, sensationalize, or fabricate a story or performance for dramatic effect; often implying artificial or insincere emotional display.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is used in both varieties but is considered rare and somewhat dated. No significant syntactic differences.
Connotations
In both varieties, it suggests cheap, artificial sentimentality.
Frequency
Equally rare in both BrE and AmE. Its primary association is with theatrical jargon.
Grammar
How to Use “hoke” in a Sentence
to hoke something upto hoke up somethingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hoke” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The director told the actor to stop hoking up the death scene and play it with more restraint.
- The journalist was accused of hoking the story to sell more papers.
American English
- She really hoked up that apology for the cameras.
- Don't hoke your feelings for my benefit; just be honest.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Rare, may appear in literary or drama criticism.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Not used in general conversation.
Technical
Used in theatre/film direction and critique to describe poor acting.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hoke”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hoke”
- Confusing 'hoke' with the noun 'hokum' (nonsense). 'Hoke' is a verb.
- Incorrect spelling: 'hokey' (which is an adjective) is sometimes mistakenly used as a verb.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'hoke' is very rare and belongs to informal or theatrical jargon. Learners are unlikely to encounter it.
'Hoke' is a verb. 'Hokey' is an adjective meaning artificially sentimental or contrived. 'Hokum' is a noun meaning nonsense or cheap sentimental material. They are etymologically related.
Almost never. It is inherently a critical term, implying a lack of authenticity and an excess of contrived emotion.
'Ham up' is a much more common and widely understood informal synonym in both BrE and AmE.
To act or perform in an excessively sentimental, melodramatic, or exaggerated manner.
Hoke is usually informal in register.
Hoke: in British English it is pronounced /həʊk/, and in American English it is pronounced /hoʊk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “hoke it up”
- “full of hokum”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an actor named 'Hoke' who is known for fake crying. 'Hoke' the actor always HOKES up his performances.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION IS A FLUID (overproduced, artificial, and spilling out in an uncontrolled, fake way).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'to hoke' most appropriately used?