trite

In Ancient Greek musical theory, the lower-pitched of the two movable notes in the farther tetrachord on a lyre, pitched lower than the paranete and higher than the paramese.

Adjective

  1. used so many times that it is commonplace, or no longer interesting or effective; worn out, hackneyed.
    • It is a trite saying in a young country that anyone starting out in life with the determination to become wealthy will have his wish gratified. - 1897, W. B. Kimberly, History of West Australia : A Narrative of Her Past...
    • It is trite history – and trite law – to say that the law of the sea since that time [World War II] reflects a history of coastal State expansion. - 1994, Anthony Bergin, “The High Seas Regime – Pacific Trends and...
    • McPedro the cactus: How to woo a woman! On yehr fahrst date, don’t bring her cut flowers! That’s inhumane! And trite! - 2007, Danielle Corsetto, Girls with Slingshots: 267:

    Synonyms: banal clichéd played out bathetic bromidic cheesy commonplace corny dog-eared hackneyed hoary overdone overused overworked pat shopworn stale threadbare timeworn tired trite warmed-over well-worn

  2. So well established as to be beyond debate: trite law.
    • It is trite to say that the mere fact that a decision does not favour the applicant or that the applicant disagrees with the decision does not establish that the decision is tainted with bias. - 2017, Ontario Superior...

Origin

From Latin trītus (“worn out”), perfect passive participle of terō (“to wear away, wear out”).

Forms

triter tritest

Related

cliché

Derived

trite law tritely triteness tritish untrite

Noun Entry 2

  1. In Ancient Greek musical theory, the lower-pitched of the two movable notes in the farther tetrachord on a lyre, pitched lower than the paranete and higher than the paramese.

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from Latin tritē, from Ancient Greek τρίτη (trítē, literally “third [string]”).

Forms

trites

Noun Entry 3

  1. A denomination of coinage in ancient Greece equivalent to one third of a stater.

Forms

trites