trope

1 of 2

noun

ˈtrōp How to pronounce trope (audio)
Synonyms of tropenext
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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of trope in a Sentence

Noun a screenplay that reads like a catalog of mystery-thriller tropes
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Hostin intentionally highlights this historical trope. —Keyaira Boone, Essence, 1 June 2024 While playful and childlike to some, the garish makeup, perpetual smiling, and mischievous behavior can also easily be associated with horror tropes. —Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 May 2024 Not only is Greene’s initial attack about Crockett’s eyelashes racist, during the ensuing discourse, Rep. Paulina Luna, R-Fla., invokes tired racist stereotypes of Black women, specifically the Angry Black Woman trope. —Megan Thiele Strong, The Mercury News, 24 May 2024 This kind of thinking may be related to therapy, but it has since been extrapolated wholesale into Hollywood tropes. —Kim Hew-Low, New York Times, 16 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for trope 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of trope was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near trope

troparion

trope

-trope

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Trope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trope. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on trope

Nglish: Translation of trope for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of trope for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trope

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