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
prə-ˈvər-bē-ə-lē How to pronounce proverbial (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even if only proverbial, the figure of 330 million gods and goddesses reflects a vast inventory of divine beings found across texts, visual art, and the different towns and regions throughout India. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 By 2022, their major label debut Error started to move the needle, and 2024’s Keep Me Fed was the proverbial needle drop. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026 Other board members showed interest in adding three or more schools to the proverbial chopping block, but ultimately decided not to by the end of the meeting. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 With so much dreck getting released these days, the fact that this film barely avoided a shove off the proverbial cliff is proof that the studio system is in trouble. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for proverbial

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

Rhymes for proverbial

See All Rhymes for proverbial

Browse Nearby Words

pro-verb
proverbial
proverbialist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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
-bē-ə-lē How to pronounce proverbial (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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