Have you ever wanted a giant list of clichés to avoid (or use) in your writing?
Well, you’re in the right place! We’ve gathered the internet’s most comprehensive list of clichés all in one place for your writing pleasure.
But before we get to the list, let’s take a moment to review what a cliché is and whether or not you should use one in your work.
What Is a Cliché?
A cliché is a tired, stale phrase or idiom that, because of overuse, has lost its impact. What was once a fresh way of looking at something has become a weak prop for writing that feels unimaginative and dull. Clichés are what you write when you don’t have the energy or inspiration to think of a new way to express an idea.
George Orwell in his Rules of Writing said:
Be creative and come up with something fresh. A new analogy or metaphor will make much more of an impression on your readers than a dusty old cliché.
Examples of Clichés in Everyday Language
Sometimes clichés are so inherent in our vernacular though that they appear in our content without thought. How many times have you relied on any of the following phrases, whether in conversations or in your writing:
- read between the lines
- play your cards right
- it’s an uphill battle
- better safe than sorry
- you can’t judge a book by its cover
- bring to the table
- low-hanging fruit
- the grass is always greener on the other side
- ignorance is bliss
These are a few of the tried and true (there’s another one) clichés that wiggle into our work, but add nothing to our conversations. Time and again (cliché), we resort to a cliché instead of stretching to find our own unique voice.
That said, writers often use clichés in their first drafts and that’s fine. Taking the time to think of a better metaphor can interrupt writing flow. When you switch to editing mode, go back to those clichés and brainstorm for inventive new ideas. A good writer may create and reject ov
