trite
adjective
ˈtrīt 
triter; tritest
: hackneyed or boring from much use : not fresh or original
tritely adverb
triteness noun
Synonyms
- banal
- cliché
- cliche
- clichéd
- cobwebby
- commonplace
- hack
- hackney
- hackneyed
- moth-eaten
- musty
- obligatory
- shopworn
- stale
- stereotyped
- threadbare
- timeworn
- tired
- well-worn
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The wrong sort of built environment, she argued, wrecked the social fabric of cities. This view seems almost trite today, but in the 1960's it was insurgent. 
Robert Kuttner, New York Times Book Review, 12 Mar. 2000 Experts are always unique (their tritest pronouncements are packaged as news) … Wendy Kaminer, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 1990 Its wares are soiled with frequent handling; its styles are so hackneyed, trite, and homogeneous, they constitute a single style … Joyce Carol Oates, The Profane Art, 1983 That argument has become trite. the speaker offered disappointingly trite sentiments about embracing each challenge as an opportunity
Robert Kuttner, New York Times Book Review, 12 Mar. 2000 Experts are always unique (their tritest pronouncements are packaged as news) … Wendy Kaminer, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 1990 Its wares are soiled with frequent handling; its styles are so hackneyed, trite, and homogeneous, they constitute a single style … Joyce Carol Oates, The Profane Art, 1983 That argument has become trite. the speaker offered disappointingly trite sentiments about embracing each challenge as an opportunity Recent Examples on the Web His speech to Botvinnik about the stakes — potential nuclear annihilation — and the need to look across the negotiating table and see themselves, could feel trite, but instead reveals his sincerity. Terry Byrne, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 The criticism follows years of trite pop songs’ dominating users’ For You Pages. Morgan Sung, NBC News, 24 May 2022 Basically, all the trite notions that eventually would give way to superstars offering the spectacular during the penultimate round of the postseason. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2022 One is merely offended by Reeves’s obvious political allegories that are too vague and trite to take seriously. Armond White, National Review, 4 Mar. 2022 At the same time, the vocabulary isn’t trite, and there aren’t too many proper names. New York Times, 29 May 2022 One more piece of advice: don’t listen to trite advice like this from founders. Rachel King, Fortune, 1 May 2022 Others will note that the Reagan decade has become a trite touchstone for forward-thinking artists making plays for radio—check out Mitski’s and The Weeknd’s 2022 albums. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2022 There are instances where taking the fiercely independent female character and giving her a romance plot can feel trite, even patronizing. ELLE, 26 Mar. 2022 See More
Terry Byrne, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 The criticism follows years of trite pop songs’ dominating users’ For You Pages. Morgan Sung, NBC News, 24 May 2022 Basically, all the trite notions that eventually would give way to superstars offering the spectacular during the penultimate round of the postseason. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2022 One is merely offended by Reeves’s obvious political allegories that are too vague and trite to take seriously. Armond White, National Review, 4 Mar. 2022 At the same time, the vocabulary isn’t trite, and there aren’t too many proper names. New York Times, 29 May 2022 One more piece of advice: don’t listen to trite advice like this from founders. Rachel King, Fortune, 1 May 2022 Others will note that the Reagan decade has become a trite touchstone for forward-thinking artists making plays for radio—check out Mitski’s and The Weeknd’s 2022 albums. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2022 There are instances where taking the fiercely independent female character and giving her a romance plot can feel trite, even patronizing. ELLE, 26 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin tritus, from past participle of terere to rub, wear away — more at throw entry 1
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
trite
adjective
ˈtrīt
triter; tritest
: so common that the newness and cleverness have worn off : stale
trite remarks
trite
adjective
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull the speaker offered disappointingly trite sentiments about embracing each challenge as an opportunity Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cliche
- stereotyped
- tired
- hackneyed
- clichéd
- cliché
- commonplace
- banal
- boring
- shopworn
- stale
- obligatory
- usual
- typical
- timeworn
- old
- cardboard
- tiring
- hackney
- musty
- hack
- threadbare
- conventional
- well-worn
- dull
- cobwebby
- derivative
- platitudinous
- unoriginal
- standard
- unimaginative
- moth-eaten
- rote
- ordinary
- uninspired
- imitative
- wearying
- bromidic
- weary
- uninteresting
- vapid
- canned
- dusty
- heavy
- tiresome
- normal
- prosaic
- pedestrian
- wearisome
- tedious
- monotonous
- leaden
- drab
- humdrum
- dry
- stock
- tame
- routine
- jejune
- stodgy
- ponderous
- barren
- undramatic
- drudging
- numbing
- arid
- colorless
- pedantic
- cookie-cutter
- stuffy
- dreary
- tried-and-true
- ready-made
- flat
- ho-hum
- jading
- twice-told
- mind-numbing
- old hat
- platitudinal
- old-fashioned
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- novel
- interesting
- original
- new
- unhackneyed
- fresh
- exciting
- intriguing
- engrossing
- stimulating
- engaging
- riveting
- enlivening
- strange
- gripping
- energizing
- galvanizing
- animating
- invigorating
- involving
- unusual
- absorbing
- unfamiliar
- atypical
- extraordinary
- uncommon
- unknown
- unclichéd
- unaccustomed
- unprecedented
- pioneering
- unheard-of
- pathbreaking
- trailblazing
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of trite are hackneyed, stereotyped, and threadbare. While all these words mean "lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest," trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity.
"you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression
While in some cases nearly identical to trite, hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless.
all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed
The words stereotyped and trite are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.
views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date
The words threadbare and trite can be used in similar contexts, but threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.
a mystery novel with a threadbare plot