cliché

[klee-shey, kli-] / kliˈʃeɪ, klɪ- /

NOUN

overused, hackneyed phrase

Synonyms

WEAK

adage banality boiler plate bromide buzzword chestnut commonplace corn counterword familiar tune motto old story platitude potboiler prosaism proverb saying shibboleth slogan stale saying stereotype threadbare phrase trite remark triteness triviality truism vapid expression

cliche

NOUN

overused, hackneyed phrase

Synonyms

WEAK

adage banality boiler plate bromide buzzword chestnut commonplace corn counterword familiar tune motto old story platitude potboiler prosaism proverb rubber stamp saying shibboleth slogan stale saying stereotype threadbare phrase trite remark triteness triviality truism vapid expression

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I'm 50, and this is not a rehearsal, as cliche as that sounds.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Bernardo: I would say that I know it's a bit of a cliche, but don't be afraid of failing.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

“We tried to avoid the chop-socky, punchy cliche sounds you hear in a lot of boxing movies,” Urmson notes.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

At the risk of perpetuating a silly cliche, it’s not uncommon to hear people in Los Angeles refer to their psychics or mediums as casually as they refer to their therapists or masseuses.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

We smile at expressions like these out of relief, because were braced for the numbing cliche that fails to arrive.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Vocabulary lists containing cliché

Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory

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The AP English Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 2

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Reading: Literature - Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Middle School

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