Get Your Premium Membership

Poetry Clichés | Cliches in Poetry

A List of Clichés in Poetry. This page contains examples of clichés in poetry and a comprehensive list of clichés . These are clichés and overused sayings you may find in poetry, however,  the exhaustive list of clichés or trite phrases may be found in other forms of writing. It is a good practice to avoid use of these phases in poetry unless used in a completely original way.

See also our Cliche Finder: Paste your text in the form field and see if your creative work has clichés.

Popular Cliches

absence makes the heart grow fonder
actions speak louder than words
after my own heart
another one bites the dust
apple of my eye
back stabber
baited breath
baptism by fire
bated breath
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
beauty is only skin deep
beyond compare
big heart
bittersweet memories
boy inside
brand new day
broken heart
can't live without you
cheating heart
church bells ring
colors of spring
cries go unheard
cruel world
cry over spilled milk
dark of night
darkest of night
darkness of night
dawn to dusk
dead inside
deep within
depth of my soul
depths of my soul
distant memory
distant past
do you feel me
does my heart good
down the drain
driving me crazy
dwell in the past
empty heart
endless words
ends of the earth
eternal flame
eternal love
every passing day
everything's coming up roses
eye of the beholder
faint heart never a true love knows
fall head over heels
fall through the cracks
fan the flames
far as the eye can see
farewell friend
fateful morning
feel alive again
feeling blue
fire burning within
fire in my soul
fish in the sea
fit the mold
flowers bloom
from here to there
glued to a screen
good times and bad
grass is always greener
gray sky
hang in there
hate myself
have a heart
heart aches
heart breaker
heart flutter
heart swells
hearts intertwine
heavy heart
hello darkness
hit rock bottom
hollow soul
honor your memory
keep your chin up
kiss on my neck
kissing the rose
land far away
league of their own
left behind
left too soon
light of my life
light shines down
light up with joy
like it was yesterday
looking into my soul
lost in each others
lost soul
love and war
love is
love is blind
love make the world go round
love of my life
love you more than
love's embrace
loves conquers all things
lying heart
meaning of life
meaningful dialogue
more than meets the eye
more than words can express
my head is spinning
my heart aches for you
my heart clings to you
my heart cries out to you
my heart is a lonely hunter
my heart is aflame
my heart is an open book
my heart is drowning in sorrow
my heart is in my hand
my heart is on fire
my heart is weary
my heart laid bare
my heart longs for you
my heart reached out
my heart sings to you
my heart waits for you
my heart will always be true
my heart will never be free
my heart withered like
my hero
my inspiration
my little lamb
my lonely heart
my lonely soul
my open soul
my rock
my soul is a shadow
my soul is alone
my soul is on fire
my soul laid bare
my soul reached out
my soul took flight
my stomach is tied up in knots
my tears fell like rain
my wandering soul
my weary soul
never part
no man is an island
no one understands me
no time flat
old man
one in million
one true love
out like a lamb
over and over again
paid the price
peace of mind
pearls before swine
pounding of his lonely heart
power struggle
question my existence
rain on their parade
raise a glass
reach the sky
reached new heights
red roses
restless soul
road less traveled
romance blooms
rose by any other name
rose colored glasses
roses are red
running the race
sands of time
season's greetings
shadow of my soul
shall never part
shallow grave
shattered heart
silence is golden
sinking feeling
slay the dragon
snow capped mountains
solitary soul
soul full of longing
soul full of sorrow
soul of discretion
souls collide
spell is broken
spice of life
spring rain
star crossed lovers
stars like diamonds
stop and smell the roses
tainted love
tender as a mother's heart
test the waters
thorn in my side
til the end of time
time after time
time and again
time heals all wounds
time is fleeting
time slips away
tip of the iceberg
tossing and turning
true self
two hearts
two lovers
unborn child
unconditional love
unknown soldiers
violets are blue
waiting for the dust to settle
waiting for your ship to come in
walk your own path
warmth of my touch
weak soul
weary heart
when all is said and done
wildest dreams
wiped my tears
wish upon a star
word that was left unspoken
words that were left unspoken
worlds apart
writings on the wall
you clawed at my heart
you held onto my heart
you make the sun shine
you set my heart on fire
you tore my heart
you tore out my heart
young and in love
your essence

More Cliches & Poems

had a good run
had a tip off
had his bell rung
had his collar felt
had it up to here
had more than you've had hot dinners
had your chips
hain is only as strong as it's weakest link
hair of the dog
hairy eyeball
halcyon days
hale and hearty
half a bubble off
half a loaf is better than none
half baked
half bubble off
half cocked
half hearted attempt
half inch
half price
half seas over
half the battle
half wit
half-baked idea
halt the decline
halt who goes there
ham actor
hammer out
hand in glove
hand made
hand me down
hand off
hand on
hand on the tiller
hand over fist
hand that rocks the cradle
hand to mouth
hand-in-hand
handbags at ten paces
handle it with kid gloves
hands across the sea
hands and knees
hands down
hands on
handwriting is on the wall
handwriting on the wall
handy as a pocket on a shirt
handy as a pocket on a shirt as
hang 'em high
hang about
hang by a thread
hang in there
hang loose
hang me out to dry
hang on every word
hang out to dry
hang yourself
hanging onto mother's apron strings
hanky panky
happily married
happy a a
happy as a clam
happy as a lark
happy as a pig in mud
happy camper
happy couple
happy slapping
happy-clappy
hard and fast
hard as a rock
hard as hell
hard as nails
hard case
hard cheese
hard days night
hard faced
hard facts
hard fought
hard headed
hard hitting
hard left
hard lesson
hard line
hard liner
hard lines
hard luck
hard luck story
hard man
hard man is good
hard rain
hard stop
hard time
hard times
hard to believe
hard to see
hard to swallow
hard to tell
hard up
hard work
hard-headed
hare brained
hare brained idea
hare-brained
hark hark the lark at heaven's gate sings
harp on
harsh words
has a leg up
has in fact
has no place
hasn't a clue
hasta la vista
haste makes waste
hat in hand
hat trick
hate his guts
hate myself
hate the player
hate to say this
haul someone over the coals
have 'em in stitches
have a blast
have a bone to pick with you
have a captain cook
have a cow
have a good gander
have a heart
have a heart attack
have a jag on
have a nice day
have a screw loose
have a shot
have a stick up your ass
have a whip round
have a word
have an axe to grind
have eyes in the back of one's head
have high hopes
have the last laugh
have you got a minute
haven't a clue
haven't got a penny to my name
haven't got a row to hoe
haven't seen hide nor hair of him
haven't the foggiest
having a field day
he breasted his cards
he can't see the forest for the trees
he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn
he doesn't know what time it is
he dogged him
he gave a hundred and ten percent
he got mugged
he got plastered
he got the short end of the stick
he has a few loose screws
he has a way with words
he has egg on his face
he is automatic
he is clutch
he is hot
he is milk toast
he is money
he is toast
he knows which side his bread is buttered on
he learned his lesson
he left no stone unturned
he let the cat out of the bag
he looks like death warmed over
he lost the handle
he made a mad dash for it
he never met a doughnut he didn't like
he never saw it coming
he put one over on me
he silenced the critics
he single handedly destroyed an empire
he speaks with a forked tongue
he spilled the beans
he was just a port in the storm
he was talking into his hat lying
he was the life of the party
he went the whole 9 yards
he who can does; he who cannot teaches
he who cannot dance blames the dj
he who hesitates is lost
he who laughs last
he who laughs last laughs best
he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword
he will give the devil his due
he won hands down
he wouldn't hurt a fly
he's a bald faced liar
he's a bubble shy of plumb
he's a corn-fed hick
he's a dark horse
he's a fall guy
he's a natural
he's a smooth operator
he's all flibberty jibbets
he's always blowing his own horn
he's an easy study
he's an inch deep and a mile wide
he's bitten off more than he can chew
he's blowing hot air
he's changing his tune
he's chomping at the bit
he's dressed to the nines
he's feeling his oats
he's fishing for compliments
he's gone to ground
he's got a bug up his ass
he's got a nerve
he's got game
he's got the skills to pay the bills
he's hen pecked
he's milktoast
he's not playing with a full deck
he's not the sharpest knife in the cabinet
he's on fire
he's over the hill
he's pulling your leg
he's pushing up daisies
he's really laying it on thick
he's really on the ball
he's scared of his own shadow
he's so matter-of-fact
he's the south end of a north bound horse
he's thinking with the wrong head
he's waiting for his ship to come in
head case
head held high
head honcho
head in the clouds
head on
head over heel
head over heels
head over heels in love
head the ball
head up
head-on
heading for the poor house
headline news
heads up
health
health food shop
healthy cynicism
healthy diet
heap knock off
hear a pin drop
hear hear
hear no evil
hear what i say
heard it through the grapevine
heard that
heart aches
heart and soul
heart breaker
heart flutter
heart of gold
heart of hearts
heart of stone
heart of the matter
heart swells
heart to heart
heart's content
heart's content hidden agenda
hearts intertwine
hearts of gold
heat of the moment
heath robinson solution
heaven and hell
heaven help us
heaven sent
heaven's to betsy
heavens to betsy
heavens to murgatroyd
heavily armed troops
heavy as lead
heavy going
heavy heart
heavy hearted
heavy metal
heavy scene
heavy session
heavyweight candidate
hectic schedule
hedge your bets
heebie-jeebies
height of summer
held a meeting
held responsible
hell bent for leather
hell for leather
hell has no fury like a woman scorned
hell hath no fury
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
hell in a hand basket
hell in a handbasket
hell or high water
hell raiser
hell's half acre
hell’s door
hello darkness
help take a bite out of crime
helping hand
helping the police with their enquiries
helter-skelter
hem and haw
hen pecked
hep-cat
her biological clock is ticking
here and now
here and there
here i raise my ebenezer
here lies one whose name was writ in water
here there and everywhere
here today : gone tomorrow
here today gone tomorrow
here we go again
here's mud in your eye
here's your hat what's your hurry
heroic failure
het up
hidden agenda
hide and seek
hide the salami
higgledy piggledy
high and dry
high and mighty
high art
high as a kite
high five
high hope
high hopes
high horse
high maintenance
high on life
high on the agenda
high on the hog
high point
high profile
high self esteem
high tech
high time
high wide and handsome
high-flyer
highest bidder
highway robbery
hindsight is 20 20
hindsight is twenty twenty
hing of beauty is a joy forever
hip off the old block
hired mercenary
his and hers
his bark is bigger than his bite
his bark is worse than his bite
his elevator doesn't go to the top floor
his eyes are bigger than his stomach
his mouth is writing checks his body can't cash
hissy fit
history is bunk
history repeat itself
history repeats itself
hit below the belt
hit between the eyes
hit every ugly branch falling out of the tree
hit him right between the numbers
hit man
hit on
hit pay dirt
hit paydirt
hit rock bottom
hit the book
hit the books
hit the bricks
hit the deck
hit the ground running
hit the hay
hit the nail on the head
hit the road
hit the sack
hit the sack/sheets/hay
hit the spot
hob-nob
hobson's choice
hocus-pocus
hog heaven
hog heaven to be in
hog wash
hoi polloi
hoist by your own petard
hoisted by your own petard
hoity-toity
hold a candle
hold a candle to
hold a candle to it
hold a candle to the devil
hold accountable
hold down the fort
hold the fort
hold the phone
hold up
hold your feet to the fire
hold your head up high
hold your horses
hold your own
hold your tongue
holding a wake
holding all the cards
holding back
holding back for bets
holding out
holding the baby
holding the fort
hole in one
hole in the sky
holier than thou
hollow promises
hollow soul
hollow victory
holy cow
home
home front
home is where the heart is
home is where you hang your hat
home leave
home truths
honest as the day is long
honeymoon period
honor your memory
honorary member
honour the agreement
hook
hook line and sinker
hook me up
hook or by crook
hooray henry
hop skip and a jump
hop skipnd jump
hope against hope
hope is gone
hope springs eternal
hope this finds you well
horn in the flesh
hornets nest
horns of a dilemma
horny as a peach-orchard boar
horny as a three peckered billy goat
horse and cart
horse apiece
horse around
horse feathers
horse of a different color
horse of a different colour
horse of different color
horse play
horse sense
horsing around
hostile bid
hot across the bows
hot air
hot and bothered
hot as hell
hot beef injection
hot enough for you
hot enough to fry an egg
hot hand
hot headed
hot in the arm
hot in the dark
hot off the press
hot on the heels
hot potato
hot property
hot seat
hot shot
hot spot
hot stuff
hot under the collar
hot water
hot water in
hotgun wedding
hotter than a fox in a firestorm
hotter than a mouse in a wool sock
hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut
hotter than a two dollar pistol
hotter than georgia asphalt
hour of need
hourglass figure
house divided against itself cannot stand
house dividedgainst itself cannot stand
houston
houston we have a problem
how are the mighty fallen
how do i love thee
how now brown cow
how sharper than serpent's tooth it is to have
how's it going
how's it hanging
how's life treating you
how's that for
how's that for a topper
how's the weather down there
how's the weather up there
hue and cry
huge step
huge success
hugged him closer than peel does a banana
hugger-mugger
human rights
human shields
hump day
hung drawn and quartered
hung like a donkey
hung over
hungry as a bear
hunker down
hunky dory
hunt the thimble
hurl insults
hurts like the dickens
hush puppies

Book: Shattered Sighs