cliché

American  

[klee-shey, kli-] / kliˈʃeɪ, klɪ- /

Or cliche

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.

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adjective

1. trite; hackneyed; stereotyped; clichéd.

cliché British  

/ 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

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cliché Cultural  

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.”

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Other Word Forms

• clichéd adjective

Etymology

Origin of cliché

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

Example Sentences

The former professional wrestler who took the ring in the Florida independent wrestling scene, actor and comedian lives by the old cliché: Once you’re in wrestling, you never really leave.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

‘Valentine’s Day is no longer all about roses and rosé … the stereotypical cliché gifts of the past are shifting to those that actually make everyday sense.’

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

The cliché applied to contralto voices is “plummy” and Heynis offers its reverse, a sort of lean, emotional essentialism in a deep and beautiful voice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

But when she speaks about her younger years, it is not the cliché story of the inspirational disabled child sometimes presented in glossy campaigns: a compliant person bravely but silently triumphing against adversity.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

The ship, as the cliché says, was very small, and on the ship, I was correspondingly even more tiny, so that one would think I would feel dwarfed, alienated in some way.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen