cliché
Worn out expression
A cliché is an expression or idea that has lost its force through overuse.
Phrases like at the end of the day or think outside the box were once fresh but have become stale from repetition.
The word extends beyond language to tired plot devices, stock characters, or any creative element that feels worn out: The movie was full of romantic comedy clichés.
Overused and unoriginal
- staleNo longer fresh
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- worn-outDepleted through overuse
- timewornDegraded through long existence
overworked · tired · shopworn · well-worn · rehashed · moth-eaten · musty · fusty
Statement needing no proof
- bromideOverused phrase or chemical
- chestnutOverused joke or edible nut
- maximBrief moral principle
- adageTraditional pithy truth
saying · proverb · aphorism · homily · saw · axiom · dictum · moral
Function's rate of change
- unoriginalNot new or novel
- formulaicFollowing a set template
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
- stockGoods kept for sale
predictable · uninspired · unimaginative · imitative · cookie-cutter · copycat · boilerplate · by-the-numbers
Unremarkable and frequent
- mundaneCommonplace, lacking excitement
- ordinaryStandard, unremarkable
- prosaicLacking imagination or excitement
- pedestrianOne traveling afoot
bland · dull · humdrum · vapid · insipid · flat · unremarkable · nondescript
Recurring narrative device
- archetypeOriginal model for copies
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- typecastRepeatedly assigned similar roles
- generalizationDeriving principles from examples
pigeonhole · one-dimensional · oversimplification · convention · formula · mold · type · staple
hackneyed
Overused and unoriginal
- staleNo longer fresh
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- worn-outDepleted through overuse
timeworn · overworked · tired · shopworn · well-worn · rehashed · moth-eaten · musty · fusty · old-hat
truism
Statement needing no proof
adage · saying · proverb · aphorism · homily · saw · axiom · dictum · moral · epigram
derivative
Function's rate of change
- unoriginalNot new or novel
- formulaicFollowing a set template
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
stock · predictable · uninspired · unimaginative · imitative · cookie-cutter · copycat · boilerplate · by-the-numbers · paint-by-numbers
commonplace
Unremarkable and frequent
- mundaneCommonplace, lacking excitement
- ordinaryStandard, unremarkable
- prosaicLacking imagination or excitement
pedestrian · bland · dull · humdrum · vapid · insipid · flat · unremarkable · nondescript · forgettable
trope
Recurring narrative device
- archetypeOriginal model for copies
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
- typecastRepeatedly assigned similar roles
generalization · pigeonhole · one-dimensional · oversimplification · convention · formula · mold · type · staple · standby
clichéprofundity
Intellectual or emotional depth
insight · nuance · wisdom · epiphany · revelation
clichériveting
Completely holding one's attention
exciting · galvanizing · enlivening · energizing · animating