cliché
cli·ché
noun \klē-ˈshā, ˈklē-ˌ, kli-ˈ\: a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting
: something that is so commonly used in books, stories, etc., that it is no longer effective
Full Definition of CLICHÉ
1
: a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
2
: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation
3
: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace
— cliché adjective
Variants of CLICHÉ
cli·ché also cli·che \klē-ˈshā, ˈklē-ˌ, kli-ˈ\
Examples of CLICHÉ
- a speech filled with clichés about “finding your way” and “keeping the faith”
- The macho cop of Hollywood movies has become a cliché.
- Non-Amateur writers avoid industriously the word Orwellian, because even years ago it became an overused and underdefined cliché. —William F. Buckley, Jr., National Review, 1 May 2000
- FILM “I Like It Like That”: It has every cliché of the 'hood genre, elevated by a strong woman protagonist and a few comic moments. —Bell Hooks, Ms., September/October 1994
- I'd never been out with a model before,so I hadn't even bargained on the cliché of the rock star and the model as being part of my life. —David Bowie,. quoted in Rolling Stone, 10 June 1993
- Time has been the best healer for the pain of loss, just as the old cliché says, but letting go is still difficult. —Lynn McAndrews, My Father Forgets, 1990
- … don't seek the ultimate, general solution; find a corner that can be defined precisely and, as our new cliché proclaims, go for it. —Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, July 1987
- [+]more
Origin of CLICHÉ
French, literally, printer's stereotype, from past participle of clicher to stereotype, of imitative origin
First Known Use: 1882
Related to CLICHÉ
Rhymes with CLICHÉ
abbé, affray, agley, airplay, airway, aisleway, all-day, allay, allée, Angers, Anhui, archway, array, ashtray, assay, astray, Augier, away, aweigh, backstay, ballet, base pay, bat ray, beignet, belay, beltway, benday, beret, betray, bewray, bidet, bikeway, birthday, Biscay, Bizet, blasé, bobstay, Bombay, Bossuet, bouchée, bouclé, boule, bouquet, Bourget, bourrée, breezeway, Bouvet, Broadway, buffet, byplay, byway, cachet, café, cahier, Cambay, Cathay, causeway, chaîné, chalet, chambray, chassé, child's play, ciré, congé, convey, co-pay, Corday, corvée, coudé, coupé, crawlway, crochet, croquet, crossway, cube, curé, cy pres, DA, daresay, D-day, death ray, decay, deejay, defray, delay, dengue, dismay, display, distrait, DJ, donnée, doomsday, doorway, dossier, downplay, dragée, driveway, duvet, Earl Grey, embay, épée, essay, estray, Ewe, fair play, fairway, Feuillet, field day, filé, filet, fillet, fireclay, fishway, flambé, flight pay, floodway, flyway, folkway, footway, foray, force play, forebay, foreplay, forestay, formée, forte, fouetté, foul play, Fouquet, four-way, fourchée, foyer, franglais, frappé, freeway, Friday, frieze, fumet, gainsay, Galway, gamay, gangway, gateway, gelée, give way, glacé, godet, gourmet, Green Bay, greenway, guideway, gunplay, hair spray, halfway, hallway, Hannay, harm's way, hatchway, headway, hearsay, Hebei, Hefei, heyday, highway, hold sway, homestay, hooray, horseplay, Hubei, in play, in re, inlay, inveigh, Islay, issei, jackstay, James Bay, jennet, jeté, Jetway, Jolliet, keyway, Kobe, koine, kouprey, lamé, laneway, lay day, leeway, lifeway, Lomé, Lord's day, lwei, lycée, M-day, maguey, mainstay, make hay, Malay, malgré, man-day, Mande, Manet, manqué, margay, massé, match play, maté, May Day, Medway, melee, meze, midday, midway, Midway, Millay, Millet, mislay, misplay, moiré, Monday, Monet, Mornay, name day, Niamey, nisei, noonday, Norway, nosegay, obey, OK, olé, ombré, one-way, osprey, Otway, outlay, outré, outstay, outweigh, oyez, PA, parfait, parkway, parlay, parquet, partway, passé, pâté, pathway, pavé, payday, pearl gray, per se, pince-nez, pipe clay, piqué, piquet, pith ray, PK, plié, plissé, pommée, Pompeii, portray, prepay, projet, pulque, puree, purvey, quale, Quesnay, raceway, Rahway, railway, rappee, red bay, relay, repay, replay, risqué, roadway, Roget, role-play, ropeway, rosé, rosebay, Roubaix, roué, routeway, runway, sachet, saint's day, Salé, sansei, sashay, sauté, screenplay, scrub jay, seaway, Shark Bay, shar-pei, shipway, short-day, sick bay, sick day, sick pay, sideway, skyway, slideway, slipway, sluiceway, soigné, soiree, someday, someway, soothsay, soufflé, speedway, spillway, squeeze play, stairway, sternway, stingray, straightway, strathspey, stroke play, subway, Sunday, survey, sweet bay, swordplay, tea tray, tempeh, thoughtway, thruway, Thursday, tideway, today, Tokay, tollway, Torbay, touché, toupee, trackway, tramway, Tuesday, Twelfth Day, two-way, unlay, unsay, valet, V-day, veejay, vide, visé, Vouvray, walkway, waylay, Wednesday, weekday, white way, windway, wood ray, wordplay, workday
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