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.

Football is a funny old game, as the cliche goes.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 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

If you’re going to use a cliche, respect it.

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

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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