Cliche Detector
Detect cliches, business jargon, mixed metaphors and dead phrases in writing, grouped by type, with a concrete replacement suggested for each.
Last reviewed by the Radiatus Cloud team
Need this done properly for your business?
Radiatus delivers secure cloud, DevOps & compliance engineering.
A cliche was a good phrase once
Every cliche started as a vivid image. "Low hanging fruit" once made someone picture reaching for the easy apples. Repetition wore the image away until the phrase carried only its abstract meaning, and often not even that precisely. Orwell's rule still holds: never use a figure of speech you are used to seeing in print. Not because the phrase is wrong, but because a reader skims past it without forming any picture, which is the opposite of what a figure of speech is for.
Jargon hides the absence of a claim
Business jargon is worse than cliche because it frequently replaces a specific statement with a vague one. "Leverage synergies" says less than "share the sales team". "Circle back" says less than "email you on Thursday". "At the end of the day" says nothing whatever. The test is whether the phrase could be deleted without changing what the sentence claims. If it could, the sentence was making a smaller claim than it appeared to.
When the phrase should stay
Some cliches are the clearest available way to say something, and an unusual substitute would be worse. Legal and technical writing uses fixed phrases that are precise within their field. Dialogue and quotation reproduce how people actually speak. The point of a list like this is to make the phrase visible so you can decide, not to replace one automatic choice with another.
Related tools
- Emoji Picker & Copier — Browse, search, and copy emojis by category. Collect multiple emojis and copy them all at once. Recently used emojis saved locally.
- Text to Speech Player — Convert text to natural speech using the Web Speech API. Adjustable voice, speed, pitch, and volume with playback controls.
- Speech to Text Transcriber — Transcribe speech to text using your microphone. Supports multiple languages with continuous listening, copy, and download features.
- Instagram Caption Generator — Generate Instagram caption ideas from a topic, tone, and optional CTA. Fast, template-based suggestions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cliches always wrong?
No. Some are the clearest available way to say something, and an unusual substitute reads worse. Legal and technical writing uses fixed phrases that are precise in their field, and dialogue reproduces how people speak. The list makes the phrase visible so you can decide.
What is the test for jargon?
Whether the phrase can be deleted without changing what the sentence claims. If it can, the sentence was making a smaller claim than it appeared to, and the jargon was concealing the gap.
Why is jargon worse than cliche?
Because a cliche is a worn out image while jargon often replaces a specific statement with a vague one. "Circle back" says less than "email you on Thursday", and the reader cannot tell what was actually promised.
What is a mixed metaphor?
Two incompatible images in one sentence, such as boiling the ocean while moving the needle. Each is a cliche on its own; together they force the reader to picture something impossible and the sentence becomes accidentally funny.
Does this apply to fiction?
Partly. In narration the advice holds, since a worn image makes a reader skim. In dialogue a cliche can be exactly right, because characters speak in cliches and an unusually fresh phrase can sound wrong in their mouth.
Privacy & Security
Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to Use
Paste text to find cliches and jargon with a suggested replacement for each.
Disclaimer: This tool is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Results are for educational and utility purposes.
Related Tools
Emoji Picker & Copier
TextBrowse, search, and copy emojis by category. Collect multiple emojis and copy them all at once. Recently used emojis saved locally.
Text to Speech Player
TextConvert text to natural speech using the Web Speech API. Adjustable voice, speed, pitch, and volume with playback controls.
Speech to Text Transcriber
TextTranscribe speech to text using your microphone. Supports multiple languages with continuous listening, copy, and download features.