A cliche is a phrase or expression that has become overly familiar or commonplace through repeated use. It is often used in a negative sense, as it can be seen as a sign of a lack of originality or creativity.
One of the reasons that cliches are so prevalent is that they are often used as a way to express a common idea or sentiment in a concise and efficient manner. For example, someone might say "time heals all wounds" to offer comfort to someone who is going through a difficult time. While this phrase may be true, it has become so common that it can feel unoriginal or even trite when used in conversation or writing.
There are many different types of cliches, including proverbs, idioms, and catchphrases. These expressions are often passed down through generations and become part of the collective consciousness of a culture. However, their widespread use can also make them seem tired or hackneyed, especially to people who are more sensitive to the use of language.
In writing, cliches can be especially problematic, as they can undermine the effectiveness of a message or story. Writers are often advised to avoid using cliches in their work, as they can make the writing feel unoriginal or lacking in depth. Instead, writers are encouraged to use more descriptive and specific language to convey their ideas and emotions.
Despite their negative connotations, cliches do have their place in language and can be useful in certain contexts. They can provide a quick and easy way to convey a common idea or sentiment, and can also be used for humorous or ironic effect. However, it is important to be mindful of their use, as overuse can lead to a lack of originality and creativity in language and communication.
Define the word cliche
How might the novice letter writer achieve these two goals? Clichés are usually the result of haste, lack of attention and care, and sometimes ignorance of the alternatives. Despite the low regard in which we all hold clichés, we all use them, certainly in speech, if not in writing. The word can describe something that seems to occur over and over again, often causing a feeling of fatigue in the viewer: The image of the recent college graduate working as a Starbucks barista or a rental car clerk has become a cliché in the national debate over student loan debt. The Arco floor lamp: a long, thin arc of chrome, sprouting from a heavy marble base and ending in a shiny domed shade; somewhere between standing and pendant light. But if all writers and speakers did this just as often as was desirable, and no more, the idea of cliché and its associations of overuse and ineffectiveness would never have arisen. By using a cliché repeatedly in the lyrics, the songwriter has made the tune very boring. Thus a small genre of clichés is born.
What Is A Cliché?
Because teenagers like a certain phrase, they will repeat it over and over again until it becomes a cliché. Dictionaries vary in particulars about the definition of cliché, but they all agree that a cliché is not a good thing. Example sentence: I knew that the film was a cliché but I went to see it anyway Expert answered. We only find them unfortunate in contexts where something more powerful than a cliché is needed, and we recognize that the speaker or writer has thrown away an opportunity to be creative, taking the path of least resistance instead, inserting an expression that is familiar, probably concise, and unfortunately dead on arrival. Jane could not think of a good toast so she simply said a cliché she often heard in wedding movies.
'Cliché': We’ve Heard It All Before
Another, related to this idea, is to sound convincing and authoritative. What are examples of clichés? Definition of Cliche a word or phrase used excessively Examples of Cliche in a sentence When will Ginger come up with a new phrase and stop using that cliché in all her social media posts? Are all of these really clichés? User: Define the word cliche Weegy: Cliche: A trite expression, often a figure of speech whose effectiveness has been worn out through overuse and excessive familiarity. Clichés give us the liberty to slip in a ready-made phrase with the confidence that it will guide the reader or listener down the path that we have laid out for them. . Which is why they get such a bad rep. However, without clichés, linguistic expression would certainly involve more effort. A cliché in its proper place does an effective job unobtrusively.