Proverbial Meaning
/pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.
adjOptionally 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)
Sentence Examples
Trump thinks he's the proverbial 800-pound gorilla.
Yanni's loud music was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He turned the other cheek, following the ____ advice of turning the other cheek.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was the ____ needle in a haystack, almost impossible to find in the crowded marketplace.
Word Origin & History
From Latin prōverbiālis, equivalent to proverb + -ial
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“We don’t like it, it’s the proverbial ‘crap sandwich’ that they talk about but what’s the best move from here and we think it’s the way to go,” said Rep. Mark Walker, chairman of the large group of fiscal conservatives known as the Republican Study Committee. […] “I think there is a growing consensus, whether it’s February or sometime, that we don’t want to be on this proverbial hamster wheel,” he said."
— 2018 January 17, Deidre Walsh, quoting Mark Walker, “Republican Study Committee Chairman supports ‘crap sandwich’ funding bill”, in CNN:
"Mr. Obama has presented himself as a fresh face, unsteeped in Washington and the proverbial “politics as usual.”"
— 2007 May 17, Mark Leibovich, “For ’08 Résumés, Don’t Ask Them to Fill in Blanks”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2021:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
He turned the other cheek, following the ____ advice of turning the other cheek.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She was the ____ needle in a haystack, almost impossible to find in the crowded marketplace.