# trope

/tɹˈəʊp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trope
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. recurring motif

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

a common idea, situation, or character type that appears often in stories or films.

For teachers: a recurring thematic element, plot device, or structural convention within a particular genre of art or literature.

- The 'chosen one' is a very common trope in fantasy novels.
- Modern horror films often subvert the 'final girl' trope to surprise audiences who are familiar with the genre's established conventions.

### 2. figure of speech

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

a word or phrase used in a way that is not literal, like a metaphor.

For teachers: a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression; a rhetorical figure of speech.

- The poet used the trope of a fading flower to represent old age.
- The professor's lecture focused on the use of irony as a central trope in eighteenth-century satirical pamphlets.

### 3. religious music

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

a short piece of music or text added to a church service to make it more beautiful.

For teachers: a phrase, sentence, or verse added to the text of the liturgy for embellishment or as a musical interpolation.

- The choir performed a medieval trope during the Christmas service.
- Scholars argue that these liturgical tropes eventually evolved into the earliest forms of Western drama.

### 4. to use a motif

verb · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

to use a common story idea or to turn something into a trope.

For teachers: to represent or embellish something through the use of tropes; to turn a concept into a recurring motif.

- The director decided to trope the detective's dark past using black-and-white flashbacks.
- The author tends to trope historical events, transforming complex political realities into simplified narrative symbols.

## Examples

- The 'chosen one' is a common trope in fantasy movies.
- The director subverted the classic horror trope by having the main character make logical decisions throughout the film.
- While some critics dismiss the detective's tragic backstory as a tired trope, others argue it provides a necessary emotional anchor for the procedural elements of the plot.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.