Grammar Clinic

Meaning: Very old or old-fashioned. Example: Prisons are run on archaic methods Synonyms: obsolete, obsolescent, out of date, anachronistic, old-fashioned, outmoded, behind the times, bygone, antiquated, antique, superannuated, antediluvian, past its prime, having seen better days, olde worlde Antonyms: new, modern

Meaning: (of a phrase or idea) having been overused; unoriginal and trite. Example: Hackneyed old sayings Synonyms: overused, overworked, overdone, worn out, time-worn, platitudinous, vapid, stale, tired, threadbare Antonyms: original, fresh

Meaning: A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. Example: That old cliché ‘a woman’s place is in the home Synonyms: platitude, hackneyed phrase, commonplace, banality, truism, trite phrase, banal phrase, overworked phrase, stock phrase, bromide

Meaning: a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. Example: She began uttering liberal platitudes Synonyms: cliché, truism, commonplac

Meaning: A general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought. Example: The legal precept of being innocent until proven guilty Synonyms: principle, rule, tenet, canon, code, doctrine, guideline, working principle, law, ordinance, statute, command, order, decree, mandate, dictate, dictum, directive, direction, instruction, injunction, prescription, commandment

Meaning: Of only average quality; not very good. Example: He is an enthusiastic if mediocre painter Synonyms: ordinary, common, commonplace, indifferent, average, middle-of-the-road, middling, medium, moderate, everyday, workaday, tolerable, passable, adequate, fair Antonyms: exceptional, excellent

Meaning : Having no match or equal; unrivalled. Example : He is a nonpareil storyteller Synonyms: incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, unparalleled, unequalled, without equal, peerless, unmatched

Meaning: Having a firm basis in reality and so important, meaningful, or considerable. Example: There is no substantive evidence for the efficacy of these drugs

Meaning: unequalled; unrivalled. Example: A peerless cartoonist Synonyms: Incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare, unparalleled, unequalled, without equal, unmatched, beyond comparison, second to none, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, nonpareil

Meaning: Surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way. Example: The world’s pre-eminent expert on asbestos Synonyms:  greatest, leading, foremost, best, finest, chief, outstanding, excellent, distinguished, prominent, eminent, important, major, star, top, toptier, topmost, famous, renowned, celebrated, illustrious, towering, supreme, superior, exceptional, unrivalled, unsurpassed, unequalled, inimitable, incomparable, matchless, peerless, unmatched, arch-, transcendent Antonyms: unknown, undistinguished, inferior