cliché
/ˈkliː.ʃeɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /kliːˈʃeɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /klē-ˈshā ˈklē-ˌshā, kli-ˈshā/ (ame, mw)
cliché — noun
- clichésingular
- clichésplural
1. a line, comment, or belief that people have repeated so many times that it now s
a line, comment, or belief that people have repeated so many times that it now sounds dull instead of fresh.
At the debate, Eve sighed when the mayor repeated the cliché 'hard work always wins.'
repeat the cliché + quoted saying
Daichi's essay used the cliché 'time heals all wounds,' and his teacher crossed it out.
use the cliché + quoted line in writing
The greeting card was full of clichés about perfect love and endless happiness.
Aaron answered every problem with the same old cliché about teamwork.
On air, the host skipped clichés and described the game in his own words.
- platitude
often stresses that the remark sounds shallow or moralizing
- catchphrase
can be memorable or neutral, not necessarily tired
- stock phrase
more descriptive; focuses on a ready-made expression
- originality
the quality of sounding new rather than copied
- novelty
emphasizes freshness and newness
文法句型
a cliché about + topic
the cliché that + clause
用法筆記
Common with verbs such as use, repeat, avoid, and fall back on. Unlike sense 2, this sense names the overused words or opinion itself rather than a whole person, scene, or situation.
常見錯誤
2. a character, scene, or situation that feels boring because it follows a pattern
a character, scene, or situation that feels boring because it follows a pattern people already know too well.
In the novel, the rich villain became a cliché instead of a believable person.
become a cliché for a stock character
Critics said the final airport chase was an action-film cliché, not a real surprise.
genre word before cliché
By the third date, Hamza feared he was becoming a lonely-genius cliché from television dramas.
The makeover scene felt like a school-film cliché once the quiet girl removed her glasses.
After another speech about family honor, the strict father felt like a soap-opera cliché.
- trope
broader and more neutral; a trope is not always stale
- stereotype
usually focuses on unfair ideas about groups rather than plot devices
- stock character
specific to familiar fictional person-types
- original creation
a person or scene that feels newly imagined
文法句型
a cliché in + genre
an action-film cliché
用法筆記
Often used for stock figures and familiar plot moments in films, novels, advertising, and social life. Unlike sense 1, this sense covers the whole overfamiliar person or scenario, not just the words someone says.
常見錯誤
cliché — adjective
- clichépositive
- clichéercomparative
- clichéestsuperlative
1. repeated so often in language, stories, or images that it now feels lazy and eas
repeated so often in language, stories, or images that it now feels lazy and easy to predict.
Aarav said the hero's final speech sounded cliché, so the group rewrote the scene.
sound + cliché after a linking verb
The advert used a cliché beach sunset that made the perfume feel cheap.
cliché + noun for an overused image
Christopher avoided cliché phrases in his application letter and wrote about one real failure instead.
Yael thought the song's rhymes were too cliché for a singer with a raw voice.
The costume party turned cliché once three guests arrived dressed as pirates.
- clichéd
the more explicit adjective form, especially in careful writing
- hackneyed
more formal and common in reviews
- trite
stronger; suggests the idea sounds shallow as well as stale
- predictable
focuses on lack of surprise rather than repetition alone
文法句型
cliché + noun
sound / feel / seem + cliché
用法筆記
Often used before nouns like ending, phrase, image, or joke, and also after linking verbs such as sound, seem, and feel. Many writers prefer the alternative adjective form clichéd, but this entry covers the common adjectival use of cliché itself.