proverbial
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proverbial
- /pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/ UK
Where it comes from
From Latin prōverbiālis, equivalent to proverb + -ial
adjective more proverbial · most proverbial
- Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale. The busyness of a beaver is proverbial.
- Optionally placed before an element of a well-known proverb or metaphor to emphasize that the element is not being used in a literal sense (see Usage notes below) the proverbial smoking gun
- Widely known; famous; stereotypical. I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family.
noun proverbials
- Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase. I think we should be prepared in case the proverbial hits the fan.
- The groin or the testicles. You'll find they've got you by the proverbials.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: known, fabled, legendary, well-known, famed, renowned, famous, celebrated, notorious, infamous, archetypal, commonplace, familiar, recognized, stereotypical, hackneyed
Translations
Every language
adj of a proverb
| Español | proverbial |
|---|---|
| Português | proverbial |
| Français | proverbial |
| Deutsch | sprichwörtlich, proverbial |
| Italiano | proverbiale |
| Ελληνικά | παροιμιακός paroimiakós |
| Русский | провербиа́льный proverbiálʹnyj, посло́вичный poslóvičnyj |
adj widely known; famous
| Español | proverbial |
|---|---|
| Português | proverbial |
| Français | proverbial |
| Deutsch | sprichwörtlich |
| Italiano | proverbiale |
| Ελληνικά | παροιμιώδης paroimiódis |
| Русский | общеизве́стный obščeizvéstnyj, преслову́тый preslovútyj, провербиа́льный proverbiálʹnyj |
Talk about this word "proverbial." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/proverbial. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. proverbial. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/proverbial "proverbial." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/proverbial.Cite this
@misc{proverbial_2026,
title = {proverbial},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/proverbial},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
