cliche

[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 rubber stamp saying shibboleth slogan stale saying stereotype threadbare phrase trite remark triteness triviality truism vapid expression

cliché

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

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.

“It sounds cliche, but the walls between our communities literally burned to the ground,” Bernstein said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

He said while this "sounds like a big cliche", he found that moment emotional and was "very proud to be here and very proud to represent my country".

From BBC • May 13, 2026

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

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

We broke up within a month, and my life became a California cliche: I joined a cult-like spiritual practice with a glamorous Indian guru.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

And she didn’t even care if that was a cliche.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Vocabulary lists containing cliche

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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