nothing new under the sun

Cultural  

1. A phrase adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes; the author complains frequently in the book about the monotony of life. The entire passage reads, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

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nothing new under the sun Idioms  

1. Everything has been seen before, as in Those designs take me back to the 1950s—there really is nothing new under the sun. This world-weary view was already expressed in 1382 in the Bible translation attributed to John Wycliffe's followers: “No thing under the sun is new” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

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Example Sentences

"There is nothing new under the sun compared to the previous editions," she said.

From BBC • May 30, 2025

To begin with, there’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to laundering wrongdoing through conspicuous displays of spiritual piety or good works.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2022

It might happen as a No. 2 seed, but as is often the case, there’s nothing new under the sun.

From Washington Post • Mar. 4, 2022

“Dead Man’s Switch,” an at times absorbing documentary, demonstrates there’s nothing new under the sun in terms of stealing, whether the cash is material or virtual.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2021

In this matter there is nothing new under the sun.

From Flowers of Freethought (Second Series) by Foote, G. W. (George William)