Synonyms of cliché

cliché 1 of 2

adjective

variants also cliche

as in stereotyped

used or heard so often as to be dull

a cliché tale of lust and betrayal among the fabulously rich

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stereotyped
• tired
• hackneyed
• clichéd
• commonplace
• trite
• boring
• typical
• banal
• shopworn
• hackney
• stale
• obligatory
• timeworn
• weary
• hack
• tiring
• wearying
• musty
• threadbare
• dusty
• well-worn
• barren
• dull
• conventional
• tame
• cobwebby
• derivative
• dry
• usual
• platitudinous
• moth-eaten
• unoriginal
• unimaginative
• uninspired
• tiresome
• bromidic
• rote
• ordinary
• standard
• normal
• monotonous
• heavy
• old
• uninteresting
• tedious
• vapid
• cardboard
• tried-and-true
• imitative
• drab
• pedestrian
• prosaic
• routine
• ready-made
• humdrum
• canned
• stodgy
• wearisome
• pedantic
• dreary
• cookie-cutter
• leaden
• stock
• ponderous
• jejune
• arid
• stuffy
• colorless
• old-fashioned
• numbing
• twice-told
• undramatic
• platitudinal
• ho-hum
• flat
• jading
• old hat
• mind-numbing
• drudging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• new
• original
• novel
• fresh
• exciting
• interesting
• intriguing
• unhackneyed
• involving
• energizing
• stimulating
• strange
• riveting
• engaging
• animating
• unusual
• unclichéd
• engrossing
• atypical
• unfamiliar
• uncommon
• gripping
• absorbing
• unknown
• extraordinary
• unheard-of
• unprecedented
• invigorating
• enlivening
• galvanizing
• unaccustomed
• pioneering
• pathbreaking
• trailblazing

cliché

2 of 2

noun

klē-ˈshā 

variants also cliche

as in generalization

an idea or expression that has been used by many people

try to write a love story without resorting to well-worn clichés

Synonyms & Similar Words

• generalization
• platitude
• truism
• trope
• commonplace
• banality
• bromide
• stereotype
• chestnut
• groaner
• shibboleth
• generality
• homily
• proverb
• party line
• saying
• saw
• adage
• conventional wisdom
• routine
• simplification
• inanity
• old wives' tale

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• profundity

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cliché

Noun

Brousson is an Austin resident and often posts satirical videos teasing Texas cliches and generalizations. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026

Sarandon brings a welcome unpredictability to Sylvia, complicating a character who might otherwise have curdled into cliche. — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 June 2026

Unlike pumpkin spice, which has settled in to be such a seasonal cliche that people feel the need to defend it, pickle is still crisp and new. — Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 14 June 2026

In this section, artists Wendy Red Star, Omar Victor Diop, Yuki Kihara, Frida Orupabo, and Dimakatso Mathopa mine the tropes and cliches borne of these images, and through satire and recontextualization, offer works that center their own empowerment and subjectivity. — The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026