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.

As the cliché goes, time in the market beats timing the market.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

"Not to sound cliché, but it was a prayer answered."

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

“Our data shows the stereotypical cliché gifts of the past are shifting to those that actually make everyday sense.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

What might be a cliché is animated by Hayes’s confident brushstrokes and vibrant colors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

“I had to come back. Our last words to each other were trash and we would’ve been some bad cliché, and I’m too iconic for such nonsense.”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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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