cliché
Use Cliché in a sentence
noun
1.
a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox.
2.
(in art, literature, drama, etc.) a trite or hackneyed plot, character development, use of color, musical expression, etc.
3.
anything that has become trite or commonplace through overuse.
4.
British Printing.
a.
a stereotype or electrotype plate.
b.
a reproduction made in a like manner.
adjective
5.
trite; hackneyed; stereotyped; clichéd.
00:10
Cliché
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Also, cli·che.
Origin:
1825–35; < French: stereotype plate, stencil, cliché, noun use of past participle of clicher to make such a plate, said to be imitative of the sound of the metal pressed against the matrix
1825–35; < French: stereotype plate, stencil, cliché, noun use of past participle of clicher to make such a plate, said to be imitative of the sound of the metal pressed against the matrix
Synonyms
1. platitude, bromide, stereotype, commonplace.
1. platitude, bromide, stereotype, commonplace.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To cliché
Collins
World English Dictionary
cliché (ˈkliːʃeɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a word or expression that has lost much of its force through overexposure, as for example the phrase: it's got to get worse before it gets better |
| 2. | an idea, action, or habit that has become trite from overuse |
| 3. | chiefly (Brit) printing a stereotype or electrotype plate |
| [C19: from French, from clicher to stereotype; imitative of the sound made by the matrix when it is dropped into molten metal] | |
| 'clichéd | |
| —adj | |
| 'cliché'd | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cliche
1832, borrowing of a technical word from Fr. cliché, printer's jargon for "stereotype," supposedly echoic of mould dropping into molten metal, thus pp. of clicher "to click." Figurative extension is first attested 1888, following the course of stereotype. Related: Cliched (1928).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
cliché definition
A much used expression that has lost its freshness and descriptive power. Some clichés are “I thank you from the bottom of my heart” and “It's only a drop in the bucket.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The cliche that generals are always fighting the last war is far less true than the notion that a nation is always reliving it.
To trot out another overdone cliche, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again.
The impact of globalization on ecology is a cliche even to world leaders who ignore it.
To use a rather hackneyed cliche, victory in space is going to go to the leader who can think outside the box.
Matching Quote
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
