trope

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a word or expression used in a figurative sense : figure of speech
b
: a common or overused theme or device : cliché
the usual horror movie tropes
2
: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

-trope

2 of 2

noun combining form

: body characterized by (such) a state
allotrope

Examples of trope in a Sentence

Noun a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Since then, those tropes, popularized by Western films, have reappeared in cycles, Seaton said. Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025 Light, silly, and satirical, knowing your genre tropes makes for an even better viewing experience. Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025 The good news is there's horror fare to fit those tastes that avoids tired tropes, is more thoughtful than creepy, and eases a new generation of fans into a beloved genre without causing psychological damage or necessitating a night light. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025 Boots, to its credit, doesn’t retread the coming-out tropes of mass-market gay media. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trope

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin tropus "figure of speech" (Medieval Latin, "embellishment to the sung parts of the Mass"), borrowed from Greek trópos "turn, way, manner, style, figurative expression," noun derivative from the base of trépein "to turn," probably going back to Indo-European *trep-, whence also Sanskrit trapate "(s/he) is ashamed, becomes perplexed," Hittite te-ri-ip-zi "(s/he) ploughs"

Note: Also compared is Latin trepit, glossed as vertit "(s/he) turns," but as this form is only attested in the lexicon of the grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus, it may be a reconstruction based on the Greek word. The word tropes (genitive case) in the Old English translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History is an isolated instance; the word was reborrowed from Latin or Greek in the 16th century.

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -tropos "turned, directed, living (in the manner indicated)," adjective derivative of trópos "turn, way, manner, style" — more at trope

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of trope was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trope. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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