proverbial

adjective

pro·​ver·​bi·​al prə-ˈvər-bē-əl How to pronounce proverbial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
2
: that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of
the proverbial smoking gun
proverbially adverb

Examples of proverbial in a Sentence

Insanity roamed through her large midwestern tribe, cloistered in proverbial dark closets in gabled houses in areas of the country where no one else lived for miles and miles … Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television. Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Recent Examples on the Web In 2022, for example, more than 600 children applied for 40 spots in one program — leaving many would-be campers out in the proverbial cold. Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Garland gives the character several opportunities to reconnect with her humanity, even as this tense, increasingly brutal road trip pushes the team deeper into the proverbial heart of darkness. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Or will a new challenger, like the West Coast-style fare at California Burger, cut the proverbial nets? The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 To get back on the proverbial horse (whose name is Tiffany). Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 The Hollywood star, whose proverbial big break was the 1994 horror film Interview with the Vampire, splashed out a cool $3 million for the eighth-floor aerie back in 2007, The New York Post first reported. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 Trevor Hughes: This is a satellite that will measure methane emissions from oil and gas wells, from landfills, even from the proverbial cow farts that people tend to get upset about. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Ten years ago, Jeffries was the man in the proverbial ring, hired to bring a professional soccer team back to the Queen City. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2024 So why must climbing the proverbial career ladder be a straight line upwards? Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proverbial.' 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

see proverb entry 1

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of proverbial was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near proverbial

Cite this Entry

“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

proverbial

adjective
pro·​ver·​bi·​al prə-ˈvər-bē-əl How to pronounce proverbial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
proverbial wisdom
2
: commonly spoken of
the proverbial beginner's luck
proverbially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on proverbial

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