truisms
Self-evident sayings
Truisms are statements so obviously true they barely need saying: Death is inevitable, Time flies.
The word often carries a dismissive tone—calling something a truism suggests it's too banal to be worth mentioning, even if accurate.
That's just a truism means the observation lacks depth or originality.
Traditional saying expressing truth
- aphorismTerse general truth
- maximBrief moral principle
- adageTraditional pithy truth
- axiomSelf-evident starting principle
dictum · precept · epigram · apothegm · saw · motto · mantra · byword
Overused and unoriginal
- banalUnoriginal and dull
- triteOverused, lacking freshness
- clichédOverused to meaninglessness
- overusedEmployed too frequently
tired · worn-out · unoriginal · predictable · stale · threadbare · shopworn · bromidic
Deep perceptive understanding
- sagacityPenetrating mental acuity
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
- common senseNative practical judgment
folk wisdom · homespun wisdom · received wisdom · practical wisdom · life lessons · moral · counsel · guidance
Requiring no demonstration
- axiomaticAccepted without question
- undeniableImpossible to contradict
- apparentClearly seen or understood
- evidentClearly perceived or understood
manifest · patent · plain · clear · indisputable · incontrovertible · unquestionable · given
proverb
Traditional saying expressing truth
axiom · dictum · precept · epigram · apothegm · saw · motto · mantra · byword · catchphrase
hackneyed
Overused and unoriginal
overused · tired · worn-out · unoriginal · predictable · stale · threadbare · shopworn · bromidic · platitudinous
insight
Deep perceptive understanding
- sagacityPenetrating mental acuity
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
common sense · folk wisdom · homespun wisdom · received wisdom · practical wisdom · life lessons · moral · counsel · guidance · advice
self-evident
Requiring no demonstration
- axiomaticAccepted without question
- undeniableImpossible to contradict
- apparentClearly seen or understood
evident · manifest · patent · plain · clear · indisputable · incontrovertible · unquestionable · given · accepted
- proverbsproverbs, sayings, maxims, adages, aphorisms
- Quotationsfamous quotes, aphorisms, maxims, epigrams, famous last words
- expressionsexpression, I love you, phrase, idioms, thank you
- folk wisdomproverb, folklore, folk sayings, saying, proverbs
- informal knowledgefolk wisdom, old wives tales, hearsay, gossip, rumors
- sayingssayings, saying, proverb, proverbs, adage
truismsrevelations
Surprising facts made known
insights · epiphanies · discoveries · breakthroughs · eye-openers
truismsprofundities
Matters of great depth
paradoxes · complexities · philosophical insights · enigmas · mysteries