cliché (pron: clee SHAY; noun)

Meaning:

A cliché is an expression or image that is very over-used. Clichés have negative nuances. For example, the image of an American person as someone who always eats hamburgers and carries guns is a cliché. It is an image that we use too often, so it has become boring (& maybe meaningless). Native speakers also use ‘cliché’ about expressions that are used very, very often – and so they have become boring and meaningless. ‘Cold as ice’ is an example of a clichéd expression. So… if you want to understand native speakers’ English, it is a good idea to learn clichés! We think they are not ‘good’ style; but that is because we use them *a lot*.