trope

play

noun \ ˈtrōp \

Definition of trope

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

See trope defined for English-language learners

Examples of trope in a Sentence

a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes

Recent Examples of trope from the Web

This is a trope that has been examined extensively and knocked down.

— jon talton, The Seattle Times, "Superstar athletes, entertainers and sky-high CEO compensation," 18 July 2017
If an ambitious women’s studies major decided that her thesis would be a movie in which film-noir tropes of the femme fatale are married to a denunciation of the patriarchy, the result might be very close to William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth.

— charles taylor, MSNBC Newsweek, "Cannes' Favorite 'Lady Macbeth' Isn't Daring, but It Might Be Racist," 17 July 2017
Now, the Intergalactic Travel Bureau has released a book, one that adopts most of the tropes of a typical tourist guide.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "A travel guide for our future Solar System," 9 July 2017
Spider-Man: Homecoming wonderfully side-steps this trope, as Parker’s motivation rests squarely on himself—a teenager coming to terms with his newfound strength and pushing himself to be better.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Let’s Talk About How Great Zendaya Is in Spider-Man: Homecoming," 7 July 2017
As a mainstream entertainment, The Line includes a lot of the familiar tropes from the crime, thriller and family-drama genres.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Line' ('Ciara'): Film Review | Karlovy Vary 2017," 7 July 2017
That trope is exactly what plays out in Wonder Woman.

— alaina leary, Teen Vogue, "How Disfigured Villains Like "Wonder Woman's" Dr. Poison Perpetuate Stigma," 5 July 2017
Wingard is probably the buzziest director in horror right now, crafting movies that play homage to and subvert basic horror tropes—

— joshua rivera, GQ, "Netflix's Death Note Looks Creepy as Hell," 30 June 2017
The sound of a crying baby on a flight is among the most overused tropes in flying.

— ryan craggs, Condé Nast Traveler, "Woman Gives Birth on Spirit Flight, Baby Will Fly Free Until 21," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of trope

Latin tropus, from Greek tropos turn, way, manner, style, trope, from trepein to turn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

trope Synonyms

Synonyms

banality, bromide, chestnut, cliché (also cliche), groaner, homily, platitude, shibboleth, commonplace, truism

Related Words

conventional wisdom, party line, routine; inanity; generality, generalization, simplification; adage, proverb, saw, saying; old wives' tale, stereotype

Near Antonyms

profundity

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

TROPE Defined for English Language Learners

trope

play

noun

Definition of trope for English Language Learners

: a word, phrase, or image used in a new and different way in order to create an artistic effect

Learn More about trope

See words that rhyme with trope Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for trope Nglish: Translation of trope for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of trope for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trope

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trope

Definition of trope

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TROPE Defined for English Language Learners

trope

Definition of trope for English Language Learners

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Origin and Etymology of trope

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