proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl 
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
2
: that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of
the proverbial smoking gun
Examples of proverbial in a Sentence
Insanity roamed through her large midwestern tribe, cloistered in proverbial dark closets in gabled houses in areas of the country where no one else lived for miles and miles …
—
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Recent Examples on the Web
To the artist, that proverbial fourth wall came down after making 2024's 9 Lives.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Meanwhile, Adidas has done well with Anthony Edwards’ sneakers, Morningstar analyst David Swartz noted, and the Minnesota Timberwolves star has yet to climb the NBA’s proverbial mountaintop.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026
Rather, the director of national intelligence coordinates them, which sometimes seems like the proverbial herding of cats.
—Gregory F. Treverton, The Conversation, 8 June 2026
Seated on a stool for the duration, Grande held the audience in her proverbial grip for several motionless minutes.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
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Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Meanwhile, Adidas has done well with Anthony Edwards’ sneakers, Morningstar analyst David Swartz noted, and the Minnesota Timberwolves star has yet to climb the NBA’s proverbial mountaintop.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026
Rather, the director of national intelligence coordinates them, which sometimes seems like the proverbial herding of cats.
—Gregory F. Treverton, The Conversation, 8 June 2026
Seated on a stool for the duration, Grande held the audience in her proverbial grip for several motionless minutes.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
Cite this Entry
“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
proverbial wisdom
2
: commonly spoken of
the proverbial beginner's luck
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