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.

If that reads like a cliché, imagine the coolest guy in school saying it, and meaning it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The confluence of Day’s songs, Herrmann’s score and Benjamin’s cantata demolished the cliché of cinema music needing to stay in the background.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The former professional wrestler who took the ring in the Florida independent wrestling scene, actor and comedian lives by the old cliché: Once you’re in wrestling, you never really leave.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

"As cliché as it sounds, it's like a family. You see the stadium packed out and as a player it's what you dream of. We can't wait to get back out there."

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

I thought it was just a corny cliché when I first heard that expression, but I think it actually applies to Coach right about now, which makes me sort of sad.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

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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