platitude
Worn-out moral saying
A platitude is a remark that states the obvious or offers empty reassurance—technically true but so familiar it carries no real weight: He offered nothing but platitudes about hard work and perseverance.
Platitudes often substitute for genuine thought or engagement with difficulty.
The adjective platitudinous describes speech full of such remarks.
Overused and unoriginal
- overusedEmployed too frequently
- triteOverused, lacking freshness
- tiredLacking energy, needing rest
- worn-outDepleted through overuse
clichéd · threadbare · shopworn · stale · unoriginal · derivative · banal · vapid
Terse general truth
- adageTraditional pithy truth
- maximBrief moral principle
- proverbTraditional saying expressing truth
- sayingShort, wise expression
truism · axiom · motto · slogan · catchphrase · soundbite · buzzword · homily
Empty within
- superficialLacking depth or substance
- shallowWithout much depth
- meaninglessLacking significance or purpose
- vacuousEmpty of content
insipid · bland · flat · empty · insubstantial · glib · facile · pat
Insincere expression of agreement
- empty gestureInsincere symbolic act
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- posturingInsincere behavior for effect
- panderingAppealing to lowest impulses
sanctimony · piety · moralizing · preaching · sermonizing · condescension · patronizing · talking down
hackneyed
Overused and unoriginal
worn-out · clichéd · threadbare · shopworn · stale · unoriginal · derivative · banal · vapid · stock phrase
aphorism
Terse general truth
saying · truism · axiom · motto · slogan · catchphrase · soundbite · buzzword · homily · moral
hollow
Empty within
- superficialLacking depth or substance
- shallowWithout much depth
- meaninglessLacking significance or purpose
vacuous · insipid · bland · flat · empty · insubstantial · glib · facile · pat · simplistic
lip service
Insincere expression of agreement
- empty gestureInsincere symbolic act
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- posturingInsincere behavior for effect
pandering · sanctimony · piety · moralizing · preaching · sermonizing · condescension · patronizing · talking down · going through the motions
- proverbsproverbs, sayings, maxims, adages, aphorisms
- clichescliche, bromide, tired phrase, worn phrase, trite saying
- expressionsexpression, I love you, phrase, idioms, thank you
- folk wisdomproverb, folklore, folk sayings, saying, proverbs
- maximsmaxim, adage, proverb, saying, aphorism
- phrasesnoun phrases, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, prepositional phrases
platitudecoinage
Invented term or currency
original thought · neologism · original expression · new idea · aperçu
platitudeprofundity
Intellectual or emotional depth
profound insight · insight · wisdom · revelation · epiphany