Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Hackneyed; trite; clichéd: Describes an expression, idea, or phrase that has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning, force, or novelty, becoming stale and unoriginal.

2. Noun:

   • A cliché; a platitude: Refers to the overused expression or idea itself.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Lời khen đó nghe thật sáo mòn và không chân thành. (That compliment sounds very hackneyed and insincere.)
  • Bài diễn văn chứa đầy những cụm từ sáo mòn. (The speech was full of clichéd phrases.)

• Noun:

  • Anh ấy chỉ lặp lại những sáo mòn cũ kỹ. (He just repeats old clichés.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used in literary, artistic, or rhetorical criticism to critique a lack of originality.
• Can describe not just language, but also concepts, styles, or methods that are unimaginatively conventional.

Variants and Related Words

• Sáo ngữ (n): A set phrase; a stereotyped expression. Often used similarly to "sáo mòn" but can sometimes imply a fixed, formulaic phrase that is not necessarily worn out.
  • Tránh dùng những sáo ngữ trong bài viết học thuật. (Avoid using set phrases in academic writing.)

Synonyms

• Clichéd: Overused and stereotyped.
• Trite: Lacking originality or freshness; dull due to overuse.
• Hackneyed: Made commonplace or trite by overuse.
• Platitudinous: Characterized by platitudes; dull, flat, or trite.
• Banal: So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

Antonyms

• Original: Fresh and novel; not derived from something else.
• Innovative: Featuring new methods; advanced and original.
• Unconventional: Not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed.

Related Idioms

• Cũ rích, sáo mòn: An emphatic phrase meaning "old and hackneyed," stressing complete lack of novelty.
  • Lập luận của bài báo đó cũ rích, sáo mòn. (That article's argument is old and hackneyed.)

1. Commonplace; hackneyed cliché