sayings

Oft-repeated truths

Sayings are short, well-known expressions that convey wisdom, truth, or advice—often passed down through generations.

They overlap with proverbs, maxims, and adages, though sayings is the most general term.

As the old saying goes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

People reference sayings to add authority to a point or acknowledge conventional wisdom, sometimes ironically: You know what they say about assumptions.

proverbs

adage

Traditional pithy truth

maximBrief moral principle
aphorismTerse general truth
dictumAuthoritative formal statement

precept · axiom · truism · saw · motto · epigram · apothegm · byword · gnome · homily

folklore

proverbs

Traditional wisdom capsules

folktalesTraditional oral narratives
loreTraditional knowledge transmitted orally
talesSpoken or written narratives

legends · fables · parables · myths · ballads · storytelling · traditions · ancestral · superstitions · cultural

clichés

platitude

Trite, overused remark

banalityTiresome lack of originality
bromideOverused phrase or chemical
hackneyedOverused and unoriginal

trite · overused · shopworn · threadbare · worn-out · tired · stale · corny · predictable · unoriginal

wisdom

insight

Deep perceptive understanding

sagacityPenetrating mental acuity
prudenceCareful, wise judgment
discernmentKeen perception and judgment

counsel · guidance · truth · enlightenment · philosophy · reflection · experience · foresight · shrewdness · nuggets

witty

quip

Brief, clever remark

witticismClever, amusing remark
bon-motClever, apt remark
epigramPithy, memorable saying

one-liner · clever · humorous · pithy · sharp · sardonic · ironic · repartee · zingers · wordplay

idiomatic

idiom

Fixed phrase, opaque meaning

expressionConveyed thought or feeling
colloquialismCasual conversational expression
catchphraseSignature line of words

slang · vernacular · phraseology · informal · conversational

sayings

adage

proverbs

platitude

insight

quip

idiom

sayings

Opposites

Phrases

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