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

proverbially

prə-ˈvər-bē-ə-lē 

adverb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

But there can be downsides to working the proverbial room as well. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026

The team so maligned all season maybe, might, possibly, potentially can see a faint light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

For the most part, the current group on hand will be the group that has to ride the proverbial storm. —Tony Jones, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026

The phrase—meaning when a worker badges in just long enough to have the proverbial cup of coffee before commuting somewhere else to keep working remotely—vividly illustrates how the goalposts have shifted from where to when. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see proverb entry 1

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for proverbial

• adverbial

Kids 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

proverbially

-bē-ə-lē 

adverb