trope

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrōp 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• banality
• bromide
• chestnut
• cliché
• cliche
• commonplace
• groaner
• homily
• platitude
• shibboleth
• truism

Examples of trope in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The tropical fruit has become synonymous with Vice President Harris, now the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, in a development that happened in a weird, roundabout sort of way — which is so often the case with silly social media tropes. —Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 July 2024

The residence takes notes from midcentury-modern design tropes, with clean lines, an open floor plan, and seamless integration with nature. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 July 2024

Vance is not a hillbilly, but a grifter of the hillbilly trope. —Tina A. Irvine / Made By History, TIME, 18 July 2024

Naval historians noted, for example, an investigation into the explosion focused on the challenges faced by the mostly Black workers on the ground, and blamed the lack of training to racist tropes against the Black sailors. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024

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