trope

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrōp 

1

a

: a word or expression used in a figurative sense : figure of speech

b

: a common or overused theme or device : cliché

the usual horror movie tropes

2

: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

-trope

2 of 2

noun combining form

: body characterized by (such) a state

allotrope

Synonyms

Noun

• banality
• bromide
• chestnut
• cliché
• cliche
• commonplace
• groaner
• homily
• platitude
• shibboleth
• truism

Examples of trope in a Sentence

Noun

a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a rare reversal of the rich-keep-getting-richer trope, No. 17 Houston and its relatively paltry $138.3 million roster beat the top-spending Dodgers ($259.4 million) in 2017. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2024

The small gap between the releases renders the allegations baseless and confirms that the stories as well as films may appear similar (and blatantly filled with popular tropes) but are not copied. —Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Comments The cabin in the woods setting for horror movies is a trope for a reason. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024

The series leads with a layer of referential humor, leaning on teen slasher-movie tropes, satanic panic lore, and familiar faces like Campbell, Camp, and Milly Shapiro, the unnerving girl from Hereditary. —Judy Berman, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin tropus "figure of speech" (Medieval Latin, "embellishment to the sung parts of the Mass"), borrowed from Greek trópos "turn, way, manner, style, figurative expression," noun derivative from the base of trépein "to turn," probably going back to Indo-European *trep-, whence also Sanskrit trapate "(s/he) is ashamed, becomes perplexed," Hittite te-ri-ip-zi "(s/he) ploughs"

Note: Also compared is Latin trepit, glossed as vertit "(s/he) turns," but as this form is only attested in the lexicon of the grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus, it may be a reconstruction based on the Greek word. The word tropes (genitive case) in the Old English translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History is an isolated instance; the word was reborrowed from Latin or Greek in the 16th century.

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -tropos "turned, directed, living (in the manner indicated)," adjective derivative of trópos "turn, way, manner, style" — more at trope

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a