adage

noun

ˈa-dij How to pronounce adage (audio)
Definition of adagenext
as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience that old adage, "the early bird gets the worm"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of adage The old football adage about teams making their biggest improvements between their first and second games might not apply in the NFL preseason, when personnel are constantly being shuffled in and out of the action. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026 The old adage among NFL scouts, coaches and smart scribes is that the preseason does not present the truth. — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Advertisement So, as now, many men followed the adage that when the going gets tough, the tough, well… toughen up. — Michael Kimmel, Time, 15 Aug. 2026 After so many games this season, some version of that adage, a verbal shrug and a nod to how unpredictable the sport is, has been uttered in the Padres clubhouse. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for adage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adage
  1. proverb
  2. saying
  3. word
  4. maxim
Noun
  • That proverb, attributed to everyone from Yogi Berra to a Danish Nobel laureate, springs to mind whenever someone asks me about an upcoming NFL season.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • An ancient proverb notes that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of proverb
Noun
  • Well, ‘It’s been emotional’ has become one of the British icon sayings of movie history, which is fantastic.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As the saying goes, the shortest way through a storm is straight.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of saying
Noun
  • The applause barely stopped, and the crowd sang along to every word as well as danced in their seats throughout the entire two-and-a-half-hour show.
    — Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Her words are not of gratitude but resentment, bile and narcissism.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of word
Noun
  • Living by a maxim that equated failure with opportunity, Brees exhibited a knack for turning tribulation into triumph.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The walls are robin’s-egg blue, painted with images of meditating skeletons and vaguely inspirational maxims.
    — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of maxim

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Cite this Entry

“Adage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adage. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on adage

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adage

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