Meanings
plural clichés · alternative cliche
- rhetoricSomething, most often a phrase or expression, that is overused or used outside its original context, so that its original impact and meaning are lost. A trite saying; a platitude.First known use 19th c.
The villain kidnapping the love interest is a bit of a cliché.
3 more examples
I know it's a bit of a cliché, but love really does conquer all.
Clever got me this far Then tricky got me in Eye on what I'm after I don't need another friend Smile and drop the cliche Till you think I'm listening Take just what I came for Then I'm out the door again
2003, “The Package” (hard rock), performed by A Perfect CircleDon’t believe what they’re saying everything’s is gonna change How could it be ever the same? It’s just a cliché fading Till we go our separate ways
2023, “Remember All The Girls”, performed by The SherlocksSynonyms: convention, platitude, stereotype, trope, byword, saying, adage, saw
- mediaA stereotype (printing plate).
comparative more cliché · superlative most cliché · alternative cliche
- proscribedsometimesClichéd; having the characteristics of a cliché.
present singular third person clichés · participle present clichéing · participle past clichéd · past clichéd · participle past rare clichéed · past rare clichéed · alternative cliche
- ambitransitiveTo use a cliché; to make up a word or a name that sounds like a cliché.
He clichéd at me. He clichéd at me in a perky, condescending tone.
2015, Shonda Rhimes, Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomething, most often a phrase or expression, that is overused or used outside its original context, so that its original impact and meaning are lost. A trite saying; a platitude.
Origin
- Frenchclicher
- Frenchcliché
- Englishcliché
Borrowed from French cliché.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عِبَارَةٌ مُتَدَاوَلَة, كْلِيشِيه
- عِبَارَةٌ مُتَدَاوَلَة (ʕibāratun mutadāwala)overused phrase or expression
- كْلِيشِيه (klīšīh)overused phrase or expression
- رَوْسَم (rawsam)overused phrase or expression
- رَوْسَم (rawsam)anything else that is overused
Bulgarian клише́, клише́
- клише́ (klišé)overused phrase or expression
- клише́ (klišé)anything else that is overused
Catalan clixé, clixé
- clixéoverused phrase or expression
- clixéanything else that is overused
Chinese Mandarin 陳詞濫調 /陈词滥调, 老生常談 /老生常谈
- 陳詞濫調 /陈词滥调 (chéncílàndiào)overused phrase or expression
- 老生常談 /老生常谈 (lǎoshēngchángtán)overused phrase or expression
- 老套 (lǎotào)overused phrase or expression
Czech klišé
- klišéoverused phrase or expression
Danish kliché
- klichéoverused phrase or expression
Dutch cliché, gemeenplaats
- clichéoverused phrase or expression
- gemeenplaatsoverused phrase or expression
- platitudeoverused phrase or expression
Esperanto kliŝo, kliŝo
- kliŝooverused phrase or expression
- kliŝoanything else that is overused
Estonian klišee
- klišeeoverused phrase or expression
Finnish klisee, latteus
- kliseeoverused phrase or expression
- latteusoverused phrase or expression
- kliseeanything else that is overused
French cliché, poncif
- clichéoverused phrase or expression
- poncifoverused phrase or expression
- lieu communoverused phrase or expression
- platitudeanything else that is overused
- lieu communanything else that is overused
German Klischee, Gemeinplatz
- Klischeeoverused phrase or expression
- Gemeinplatzoverused phrase or expression
- Stereotypoverused phrase or expression
- Banalitätoverused phrase or expression
- Abgedroschenheitoverused phrase or expression
- Plattheitoverused phrase or expression
- Floskeloverused phrase or expression
- Klischeeanything else that is overused
- Versatzstückanything else that is overused
Greek κλισέ, στερεότυπο
- κλισέ (klisé)overused phrase or expression
- στερεότυπο (stereótypo)overused phrase or expression
- στερεότυπο (stereótypo)anything else that is overused
Hebrew קְלִישָׁאָה, קְלִישָׁאָה
- קְלִישָׁאָה (klisha'á)overused phrase or expression
- קְלִישָׁאָה (klisha'á)anything else that is overused
Hindi क्लीशे
- क्लीशे (klīśe)overused phrase or expression
Hungarian klisé, közhely
- kliséoverused phrase or expression
- közhelyoverused phrase or expression
Icelandic klisja, tugga
- klisjaoverused phrase or expression
- tuggaoverused phrase or expression
- gömul tuggaoverused phrase or expression
Indonesian klise, klise
- kliseoverused phrase or expression
- kliseanything else that is overused
Italian cliché, luogo comune
- clichéoverused phrase or expression
- luogo comuneoverused phrase or expression
- stereotipooverused phrase or expression
Japanese 決まり文句, クリシェ
- 決まり文句 (kimari monku)overused phrase or expression
- クリシェ (kurishe)overused phrase or expression
- 常套語 (jōtōgo)overused phrase or expression
- クリシェ (kurishe)anything else that is overused
Korean 클리셰, 상투어
- 클리셰 (keullisye)overused phrase or expression
- 상투어 (sangtueo)overused phrase or expression
- 클리셰 (keullisye)anything else that is overused
Latin platitudo
- platitudooverused phrase or expression
Latvian klišeja
- klišejaoverused phrase or expression
Lithuanian klišė
- klišėoverused phrase or expression
Malay klise
- kliseoverused phrase or expression
Māori (kupu) rārahu
- (kupu) rārahuoverused phrase or expression
Norwegian Bokmål klisjé
- klisjéoverused phrase or expression
Polish frazes, komunał
- frazesoverused phrase or expression
- komunałoverused phrase or expression
- banałoverused phrase or expression
- sztampaoverused phrase or expression
- clichéoverused phrase or expression
- clichéanything else that is overused
Portuguese clichê, lugar-comum
- clichêoverused phrase or expression
- lugar-comumoverused phrase or expression
- chavãooverused phrase or expression
- platitudeoverused phrase or expression
- clichêanything else that is overused
Romanian clișeu
- clișeuoverused phrase or expression
Russian клише́, штамп
- клише́ (klišé)overused phrase or expression
- штамп (štamp)overused phrase or expression
- клише́ (klišé)anything else that is overused
- штамп (štamp)anything else that is overused
Slovak klišé
- klišéoverused phrase or expression
Spanish cliché, clisé
- clichéoverused phrase or expression
- cliséoverused phrase or expression
- tópicooverused phrase or expression
- tópicoanything else that is overused
Swedish kliché, klyscha
- klichéoverused phrase or expression
- klyschaoverused phrase or expression
Tagalog gasgas, gasgas
- gasgasoverused phrase or expression
- gasgasanything else that is overused
Turkish klişe, klişe
- klişeoverused phrase or expression
- klişeanything else that is overused
Ukrainian кліше́, кліше́
- кліше́ (klišé)overused phrase or expression
- кліше́ (klišé)anything else that is overused
Urdu کِلِیشے, کْلِیشے
- کِلِیشے (kilīśe)overused phrase or expression
- کْلِیشے (klīśe)overused phrase or expression
Vietnamese sáo ngữ
- sáo ngữoverused phrase or expression
Welsh ystrydeb, ystrydeb
- ystrydeboverused phrase or expression
- ystrydebanything else that is overused
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cliché
All rhymes →Cite this entry
cliché. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clich%C3%A9
“cliché.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clich%C3%A9. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cliché,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clich%C3%A9.
Source: cliché on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.