cliché

Or cli·che

[klee-shey, kli-]

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.

   Synonyms: commonplace, stereotype, bromide, platitude

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.

   1. a stereotype or electrotype plate.

   2. a reproduction made in a like manner.

adjective

1. trite; hackneyed; stereotyped; clichéd.

cliché

/ ˈkliːʃeɪ /

noun

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. printing a stereotype or electrotype plate

cliché

1. 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.”

Other Word Forms

• clichéd adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cliché¹

First recorded in 1825–35; from French: “stereotype plate, stencil,” noun use of past participle of clicher “to make a stereotype plate,” said to be imitative of the sound of the metal pressed against the matrix

Word History and Origins

Origin of cliché¹

C19: from French, from clicher to stereotype; imitative of the sound made by the matrix when it is dropped into molten metal

Example Sentences

It feels cliché, but you do feel some sort of peaceful connection to everything in the universe.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Playing a starlet as a dummy would be a cliché; Ms. Fanning’s acting choices, in harmony with the rest of the film, are delicate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rachel could have been some Hollywood cliché, but Fanning keeps us rooting for this golden girl who hopes she’ll be taken seriously by playing a Nordic depressive.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mr. Foster is nauseatingly vivid in the part, making Jim Martin too chilling to be a mere cliché.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Gale doesn’t care how cliché or “woo-woo” it may sound, but she truly believes that music chose her.

Read more on Los Angeles Times