English Meaning & Definitions
A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
- “His speech was packed with every management cliché imaginable.”
- “It's a cliché, but time really does heal all wounds.”
Penned or framed as a stereotype; hackneyed or commonplace.
- “The movie's plot was entirely cliché from start to finish.”
- “She knew her response sounded cliché, but she meant it sincerely.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “cliche”.
Borrowed from French, where it originally referred to a stereotype or electrotype plate used in printing to reproduce a block of text or image repeatedly. The word is onomatopoeic, derived from the clicking sound made by the printing machinery. By the mid-19th century, it metaphorically shifted to mean a hackneyed phrase or idea that is endlessly repeated.
Think of a 'click' on a keyboard—something you press over and over again until it becomes repetitive and boring.
Frequently Asked Questions About “cliche”
1. What is the meaning of “cliche” in English?
In English, cliche (noun) is defined as: “A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.”.
2. How do you use “cliche” in a sentence?
“His speech was packed with every management cliché imaginable.”
3. What are English synonyms of “cliche”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “cliche”?
Borrowed from French, where it originally referred to a stereotype or electrotype plate used in printing to reproduce a block of text or image repeatedly. The word is onomatopoeic, derived from the clicking sound made by the printing machinery. By the mid-19th century, it metaphorically shifted to mean a hackneyed phrase or idea that is endlessly repeated.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.