Definitions

trite

[trahyt] / traɪt /

ADJECTIVE

silly, commonplace

Synonyms

STRONGEST

banal corny dull hackneyed

WEAK

bathetic bromidic chain cliché clichéd common cornball drained exhausted familiar tune flat hokey jejune mildewed moth-eaten musty old hat ordinary pedestrian platitudinous prosaic ready-made routine run-of-the-mill set shopworn stale stereotyped stock threadbare timeworn tired uninspired unoriginal used-up vapid warmed-over well-worn worn worn-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

fresh new original

WEAK

desirable important impressive pertinent relevant uncommon

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 may sound trite to say that football is more than a game, but for those who remained in Ukraine, it is important to see representatives of their country succeed on the international stage.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Your friend will find something else; she doesn’t need a trite saying to confirm that.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

My exposure to this all stems from being around salespeople who were not competent and didn’t have a clue in how to sell, so they fell back on trite sayings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

“That sounds maybe trite or simple, but the only way we hold on to our democracy is if people continue to participate and continue to trust it and put their faith in it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

“Well ... I assumed it was some kind of. . . occasion. But I didn’t think it would be some trite human thing . . . prom!”

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Vocabulary lists containing trite

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words

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Sickly Sweet Treats: Sappy and Insincere Valentine Words

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