cliché

American  

[klee-shay, kli-] / kliˈʃeɪ, klɪ- /

Or cliche

noun

• clichés
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• clichéd
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clichés
  plural

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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

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Explanation

If you've heard an expression a million times, chances are it's a cliche. Cliche, also spelled cliché, is a 19th century borrowed word from the French which refers to a saying or expression that has been so overused that it has become boring and unoriginal. Think about the expressions "easy as pie," or "don't play with fire," or "beauty is skin deep." These are all cliches. A plot or action sequence in a film or novel can also be called a cliche if it has become dull and predictable through overuse.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cliché clichés

Any moment that threatens to turn to cliché, turns another way.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

At the movies, the PTSD-suffering veteran is a familiar figure, bordering on cliché.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

It was so influential that it spawned a popular online gag, pointing fun at reviewers who couldn't help but repeat a cliché, external about the game making them feel like Spider-Man.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

The silence, for once, may merit the cliché “deafening.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 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

Eve resists scream-queen clichés, but Gemma’s boringly typical tortured backstory is as flat as her wan chemistry with Nick.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Yes, it’s trite, but most clichés have an element of truth.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Like awful writers, large language models are programmed to reach for clichés.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

But DC’s latest installment lands like a big hunk of Kryptonite for the dream of a superhero franchise that can transcend the genre’s clichés, Slate’s Dana Stevens writes.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Not just with objective wonder at the rising of a truth, fragmentary or not, up through what often seemed to be an impenetrable mass of prejudices, clichés, and bromides.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

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