Where it’s commonly used to identify something as trite and cliché. But whether you’re writing lyrics for a song or just trying to have a stimulating conversation, you’ll probably want to avoid trite expressions as much as possible, as such things can lull an audience or peer into a stupor, leading them to dismiss your thoughts as nothing more than boring “more of the same.”
Example: The hackneyed dialogue had viewers yawning within minutes.
Example: “Not to be trivial,” the chemistry teacher told his students, “but when you use a microscope, there is more than meets the eye!”
Origin
Etymologists have traced the lineage of trite back to the Latin verb terere, meaning “to grind down” or “to wear down” (think of a shoreline constantly eroded by waves). This meaning was figuratively slovenia phone number transferred to Latin tritus, which, like trite, described something rendered meaningless as a result of being trotted out again and again. Trite first appeared in English in the mid-16th century.
Derived words
Triteness: This noun describes the characteristic of being dull and uninspired.
Example: Robert's shredding of comments made Jane wonder if her boyfriend was listening.
Cortely: This adverb describes an action as related to overuse and banality.
Example: Unfortunately, Robert chose to propose by politely requesting that her ring be brought in a champagne glass. Jane was not as delighted as she had hoped.
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