Definitions for Proverbial
prəˈvɜr bi əlprover·bial

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. proverbialadjective

   of or relating to or resembling or expressed in a proverb

   "he kicked the proverbial bucket"; "the proverbial grasshopper"

2. proverbialadjective

   widely known and spoken of

   "her proverbial lateness"; "the proverbial absentminded professor"; "your proverbial dizzy blonde"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. proverbialnoun

   Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well known phrase.

   I think we should be prepared in case the proverbial hits the fan.

2. proverbialnoun

   The groin or the testicles.

3. proverbialadjective

   Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.

4. proverbialadjective

   Widely known; famous; stereotypical.

   I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Proverbialadjective

   Etymology: proverbial, Fr. from proverb.

   1. Mentioned in a proverb.

   In case of excesses, I take the German proverbial cure, by a hair of the same beast, to be the worst in the world; and the best, the monks diet, to eat till you are sick, and fast till you are well again. William Temple, Miscel.

   Despis’d and curs’d Leontius must descend
   Through hissing ages, a proverbial coward. Irene.

   2. Resembling a proverb; suitable to a proverb.

   This river’s head being unknown, and drawn to a proverbial obscurity, the opinion thereof became without bounds. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

   3. Comprised in a proverb.

   Moral sentences and proverbial speeches are numerous in this poet. Alexander Pope.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. proverbial

   A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial expression is a type of a conventional saying similar to proverbs and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context. Collectively, they form a genre of folklore. Some proverbs exist in more than one language because people borrow them from languages and cultures with which they are in contact. In the West, the Bible (including, but not limited to the Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin (aided by the work of Erasmus) have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs. Not all Biblical proverbs, however, were distributed to the same extent: one scholar has gathered evidence to show that cultures in which the Bible is the major spiritual book contain "between three hundred and five hundred proverbs that stem from the Bible," whereas another shows that, of the 106 most common and widespread proverbs across Europe, 11 are from the Bible. However, almost every culture has its own unique proverbs.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. proverbial

   Proverbial refers to something that is well-known, widely recognized, or commonly referred to because it is often used as an example in proverbs or idiomatic expressions. It can also mean typical or characteristic of a specific thing or person. Essentially, it describes something that is so familiar it has become a reference point or cliché.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. Proverbialadjective

   mentioned or comprised in a proverb; used as a proverb; hence, commonly known; as, a proverbial expression; his meanness was proverbial

2. Proverbialadjective

   of or pertaining to proverbs; resembling a proverb

3. Etymology: [L. proverbialis: cf. F. proverbial.]

How to pronounce Proverbial?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Proverbial in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Proverbial in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Proverbial in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Proverbial in a Sentence

1. Matt Weller:

   Between yield differentials and COVID-driven safe-haven demand, the U.S. dollar has been the proverbial belle of the forex ball this week.

2. Srinivasan Sitaraman:

   Well, I think North Korea almost dared Trump to cancel the summit, and he did North Korea, the North Korean statement yesterday was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

3. Tim Ash:

   So (a) green light from Trump to Turkey to go ahead and get S400s - or that is now the Turkish view, i would imagine U.S. diplomat and defense department officials are in disbelief - Trump is like the proverbial bull in the China shop.

4. Pavel Molchanov:

   Oil and gas companies do not want to drill more, they are under pressure from the financial community to pay more dividends, to do more share buybacks, instead of the proverbial 'drill baby drill,' which is the way they would have done things 10 years ago. Corporate strategy has fundamentally changed.

5. Lisa Haisha:

   We can travel all over the world in a soul quest to “find ourselves” and answer proverbial questions about the meaning of life.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Proverbial
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Proverbial
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Proverbial
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverbial
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Proverbial