Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

trite

[ trahyt ]

adjective

triter, tritest.
  1. lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale:

    the trite phrases in his letter.

    Synonyms:

    Antonyms:

  2. characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc.:

    The commencement address was trite and endlessly long.

  3. Archaic. rubbed or worn by use.


trite

/ ٰɪ /

adjective

  1. hackneyed; dull

    a trite comment

  2. archaic.
    frayed or worn out
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈٰٱ, adverb
  • ˈٰٱԱ, noun
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • ٰٱl adverb
  • ٰٱn noun
  • ܲ·ٰٱ adjective
  • un·ٰٱl adverb
  • un·ٰٱn noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of trite1

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin ٰīٳܲ “worn, common,” past participle of terere “to rub, wear down”
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of trite1

C16: from Latin ٰīٳܲ worn down, from terere to rub
Discover More

Synonym Study

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He knew exactly what he wanted and why and how to tell me, which sounds trite because, you're a director, so that's what a director does.

From

As if Violet wasn’t nervous enough, her pleasant conversation with Henry is interrupted by trite memes covered in Impact-font text.

From

Nancy’s adorable gullibility sets her apart from a trite thriller wife.

From

But the film doesn’t simply evaluate the constraints of monogamy — you’d rarely find a plot point so trite in a Soderbergh film.

From

Bong walks a delicate line between being facetious and pulling his punches, and the script does sometimes fall to the latter side with some of its more trite resistance messaging.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Discover More

More About Trite

does trite mean?

Trite describes something as being boring or ineffective because it is used so much, as in All politicians seem to make the same trite promises to be honest.

Something that is trite is stale and worn out. It’s most often used to criticize or insult someone’s speech or writing ability.

Example: This lecture kept going in circles and was so trite.

Where does trite come from?

The first records of the term trite come from around 1540. It comes from the Latin ٰīٳܲ, meaning “worn or common.” Trite describes the figurative sense of a word’s usefulness being worn down.

Trite is usually used in reference to words, either written or spoken. However, it can also refer to other things, like a TV show that has had too many episodes. Describing someone’s speech as trite is sometimes a way to insult someone while sounding like helpful criticism and is rarely done with the speaker present—a good clue that it isn’t a nice thing to say.

Did you know … ?

are some other forms related to trite?

  • tritely (adverb)
  • triteness (noun)
  • untrite (adjective)

are some synonyms for trite?

are some words that often get used in discussing trite?

How is trite used in real life?

Trite is usually used as a criticism of something, such as a thought or speech.

Try using trite!

Is trite used correctly in the following sentence?

I fell asleep during the presentation because it was boring and full of trite phrases.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


tritanopiatritheism