proverbial

[pruh-vur-bee-uhl] / prəˈvɜr bi əl /

ADJECTIVE

conventional, traditional

Synonyms

WEAK

accepted acknowledged archetypal axiomatic current customary famed familiar famous general legendary notorious self-evident time-honored typical unquestioned well-known

Antonyms

WEAK

abnormal atypical different unconventional unknown untraditional

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.

You were about to be hit with a proverbial golf ball.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

“Feedback on the oral GLP-1 market remains frequent with still many more LLY enthusiasts despite NVO eating its proverbial lunch,” Mizuho healthcare sector specialist Jared Holz said in a Monday morning note.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

“Strike while the iron’s hot, and the proverbial iron’s really hot in quantum right now,” Legault said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

As a result, the crisis "has thrown a proverbial wrench into the inner workings of the aviation fuel markets", the IEA said.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

So why should they not meet in the proverbial secrecy of their society?

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Vocabulary lists containing proverbial

Bridge to Terabithia

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100 SAT words Beginning with "P"

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Bronx Masquerade

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