Use trite for sayings, ideas, plots, advice, or arguments that feel worn out because they have been repeated too often.
Use trite for sayings, ideas, plots, advice, or arguments that feel worn out because they have been repeated too often.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The lecture was trite because it lasted three hours. | The lecture was boring because it lasted three hours. |
| That slogan is a trite. | That slogan is trite. |
| The advice sounds trite and original. | The advice sounds trite and unoriginal. |
| She offered trite about hard work. | She offered trite advice about hard work. |
Use trite in this physical sense only for historical reading or deliberate archaic style, where it means worn by use.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The rope was trite, so the argument was unoriginal. | The rope was trite, so it was frayed by use. |
| The trite coat was full of clichés. | The trite coat was worn and threadbare. |
| The old proverb was trite, meaning the paper was rubbed thin. | The old proverb was trite, meaning it was overused. |
| The cloth became trite after one new purchase. | The cloth became trite after years of rubbing. |
Use trite mainly for overfamiliar language, ideas, plots, or advice, and reserve the physical worn-down sense for historical or deliberately archaic contexts.
Boring is broader than trite: a thing is trite when repetition or overfamiliarity has drained it of freshness.
From Latin tritus, meaning worn or common, the past participle of terere, to rub or wear down. The physical idea of rubbing away led naturally to the modern sense of exhausted freshness.
What does trite mean?
Trite means stale, unoriginal, or no longer interesting because of repeated use.
Is trite always negative?
Trite is usually critical, because it says that a phrase, idea, plot, or piece of advice has lost freshness.
Can trite mean boring?
Trite can overlap with boring, but it specifically points to boredom caused by overuse or familiarity.
What are synonyms of trite?
Close synonyms of trite include hackneyed, clichéd, stale, banal, commonplace, and tired.
What is the old meaning of trite?
The old physical sense of trite meant rubbed, frayed, or worn down by use.
Where does trite come from?
Trite comes from Latin tritus, meaning worn or common, from terere, to rub or wear down.