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 know that’s a cliche way to say things, but … he was going to do what Victor was going to do.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The cliche, 'anybody can beat anybody' in the Premier League is closer to the truth than in La Liga or the Bundesliga.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Just because it's a cliche doesn't mean it isn't true.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 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

“This is such a cliche conversation. I don’t know what else to say.”

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

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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