Meaning and Definition of Cliche

Definition of Cliche

Cliche is that phrase, expression, idea or action that has been employed with excess, until such point of losing strength and originality, in particular, if initially it appeared as something new and innovative in its category.
It is something quite common and recurrent that authors of stories, novels and even speakers at the behest of some oral discourse fall into cliches; most of the time the use of cliches will involve the lack of originality, creativity and innovation in the work, story or speech in question and of course won't be all well seen in the public, as such a situation shall be considered to be a deficiency in the development of an own idea.
In the world of cinema cliches are elements common in the accounts, for example, the ugly girl that nobody looks and that suddenly when he began to arrange themselves and dress up otherwise, the most popular boy falls surrendered to his feet... Many times have we seen this scene in the movies, especially in those romantic comedies aimed at the teenage audience.
Although not always the use of cliches is regarded as a sign of lack of creativity, since in some situations it can serve to establish the tune with the audience, that is, through the tools of speech. The use of cliches in the service of a story in many cases allows the simplification of what it is trying to tell and then makes all the broad public to understand what it is trying to communicate.
Other beneficial use which can be attributed to the cliche, is when using it in the movie theater or a work to then break it, presenting a reality quite opposite to the one proposed by the cliche.
Then, sometimes the excessive use of clichés may cause discomfort in the spectator, although, in some situations, a cliche can add to the understanding of a story and be an inspirational element of realities.