triter; tritest
: hackneyed or boring from much use : not fresh or original
tritely adverb
triteness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for trite

trite, hackneyed, stereotyped, threadbare 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

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

stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.

views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.

a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

Examples of trite in a Sentence

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The trite story sends Crowe’s slick investment banker to his late uncle’s rundown château and estate in Provence, where he’s supposed to ready the property for sale, but winds up falling in sync with its soul-soothing rhythms. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 Her confidence turns the trite line into a power move. Jen Chaney, Vulture, 16 July 2024 One useful, if trite, function of trauma in fiction is to give characters depth. Judy Berman, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024 The thrill of meeting the players’ families and seeing their homes quickly dissipates in light of trite, safe insights into the existence of the NBA’s elite. Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trite 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin trītus "worn by rubbing, (of clothes) threadbare, (of practices) familiar, common, (of words or expressions) commonly used," from past participle of terere "to rub, grind, wear down," going back to Indo-European *terh1- "rub, bore," whence also Greek teírein "to wear down, exhaust," téretron "auger," Old Church Slavic tĭrǫ, trĭti or trŭti "to rub," Lithuanian tiriù, tìrti "to investigate, find out" (< "wear down with questions"), trinù, trìnti "to rub"

Note: Regarding further connections with Indo-European *terh1- see note at throw entry 1. The past participle trītus and perfect trīvī presuppose *trei̯h1- or *treh1i-. M. de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages) suggests an original athematic present *térh1-i- / *trh1-ei̯-. Compare trībulum "threshing board" (see tribulation). Note also Greek trī́bein "to rub, chafe, grind, wear down" (see tribo-).

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trite was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near trite

Cite this Entry

“Trite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trite. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

trite

adjective
triter; tritest
: so common that the newness or cleverness has worn off
a trite remark
tritely adverb
triteness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on trite

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