What's the difference between platitude and saying?

Platitude


Definition:

  • (n.) The quality or state of being flat, thin, or insipid; flat commonness; triteness; staleness of ideas of language.
  • (n.) A thought or remark which is flat, dull, trite, or weak; a truism; a commonplace.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) In any case, people had tired of combative rhetoric and wanted softer platitudes.
  • (2) It’s clear she lends a sympathetic ear to many reformist ideas; in London last year she said: “We must constantly renew Europe’s political shape so that it keeps up with the times.” Beyond the platitudes, Merkel is open to reforms to the internal market, to competitiveness, to the bureaucracy and even to some of the institutions.
  • (3) Mills said: "Young people are not going to settle for the political platitudes that were sold to the post-independence generation.
  • (4) She said no surprises about the election date should mean "no excuses",  a clear barb at the conservative opposition leader, Tony Abbott, whom she has criticised as announcing "platitudes not policies" and giving few costings for his promises.
  • (5) The duke’s statements about business, which to our tin ears sound like simplistic platitudes of the first water, are in fact fantastically complex and prescient exercises of soft power without which our economy simply could not function.
  • (6) Of course, at the end of the day, though, what workers really need is pay, not platitudes.
  • (7) Don Berwick's report on patient safety in the NHS has been attacked for being "strong on platitudes" and lacking in clear instructions.
  • (8) Johnson is the master-builder of that image, deflecting every lie, every gaffe, dishonesty and U-turn with some self-deprecating metaphor: calling his feigned indecision “veering all over the place like a shopping trolley” was worth a world of worthy platitudes.
  • (9) She provides a strong contrast to her sanctimonious, humourless sister Mary, who spouts empty platitudes about acceptable female conduct.
  • (10) Time and time again Corbyn ducks saying things like that, preferring to shelter behind platitudes like “give peace a chance”.
  • (11) Humble and hard working” may be the standard response from footballers asked about their team-mates but with Gabriel it gets repeated so often and in a tone so convincing that it no longer sounds like a platitude.
  • (12) Such “we are all one world” platitudes infuriate those whose families and communities will bear the impact of any new migration, coming from those who have no intention of bearing it at all.
  • (13) By and large, however, Obama stuck to empty platitudes that no one could disagree with (“we need to ... protect our children’s information” and “I intend to protect a free and open internet”) rather than offering concrete new proposals.
  • (14) Please don't give me the "aunts are loved too" platitudes.
  • (15) Enough platitudes and excuses: here is the truth about this week of sexism Read more But you don’t just tell people to respect women, you show that you respect women.
  • (16) You know if you've read Capital or if you've got the Cliff Notes , you know that his imaginings of how classical Marxism – of how his logic would work when applied – kind of devolve into such nonsense as the withering away of the state and platitudes like that.
  • (17) Now we're onto the junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, who is spouting equally meaningless platitudes.
  • (18) "We need everybody to remember how we felt 100 days ago and to make sure that what we said was not just a bunch of platitudes.
  • (19) I’m not interested in platitudes or buzzwords like “anti-austerity” or “aspiration”.
  • (20) Malcolm Turnbull refuses to denounce Trump's travel ban Read more Facebook Twitter Pinterest Turnbull: ‘When I have frank advice to give an American president, I give it privately’ This is not the time for the Australian government to offer mealy-mouthed platitudes about not commenting on the policies of other countries.

Saying


Definition:

  • (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Say
  • (n.) That which is said; a declaration; a statement, especially a proverbial one; an aphorism; a proverb.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Lebedev says he is aware that he is under investigation.
  • (2) says Gregg Wallace opening the new series of Celebrity MasterChef (Mon-Fri, 2.15pm, BBC1).
  • (3) However, some contactless transactions are processed offline so may not appear on a customer’s account until after the block has been applied.” It says payments that had been made offline on the day of cancellation may be applied to accounts and would be refunded when the customer identified them; payments made on days after the cancellation will not be taken from an account.
  • (4) But when they decided to get married, "finding the clothes became my project," says Melanie.
  • (5) Mike Ashley told Lee Charnley that maybe he could talk with me last week but I said: ‘Listen, we cannot say too much so I think it’s better if we wait.’ The message Mike Ashley is sending is quite positive, but it was better to talk after we play Tottenham.” Benítez will ask Ashley for written assurances over his transfer budget, control of transfers and other spheres of club autonomy, but can also reassure the owner that the prospect of managing in the second tier holds few fears for him.
  • (6) Schneiderlin, valued at an improbable £27m, and the currently injured Jay Rodriguez are wanted by their former manager Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, but the chairman Ralph Krueger has apparently called a halt to any more outgoings, saying: “They are part of the core that we have decided to keep at Southampton.” He added: “Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin are not for sale and they will be a part of our club as we enter the new season.” The new manager Ronald Koeman has begun rebuilding by bringing in Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pellè from the Dutch league and Krueger said: “We will have players coming in, we will make transfers to strengthen the squad.
  • (7) The idea that 80% of an engineer's time is spent on the day job and 20% pursuing a personal project is a mathematician's solution to innovation, Brin says.
  • (8) Unlike Milo, he appears to be – to some extent – convinced of the truth of what he’s saying.
  • (9) It is my desperate hope that we close out of town.” In the book, God publishes his own 'It Getteth Better' video and clarifies his original writings on homosexuality: I remember dictating these lines to Moses; and afterward looking up to find him staring at me in wide-eyed astonishment, and saying, "Thou do knowest that when the Israelites read this, they're going to lose their fucking shit, right?"
  • (10) Joe, meanwhile, defends her right to say "negro" whenever she wants.
  • (11) I hope this movement will continue and spread for it has within itself the power to stand up to fascism, be victorious in the face of extremism and say no to oppressive political powers everywhere.” Appearing via videolink from Tehran, and joined by London mayor Sadiq Khan and Palme d’Or winner Mike Leigh, Farhadi said: “We are all citizens of the world and I will endeavour to protect and spread this unity.” The London screening of The Salesman on Sunday evening wasintended to be a show of unity and strength against Trump’s travel ban, which attempted to block arrivals in the US from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
  • (12) 8.47pm: Cameron says he believes Britain's best days lie ahead and that he believes in public service.
  • (13) Critics say he is unelectable as prime minister and will never be able to implement his plans, but he has nonetheless pulled attention back to an issue that many thought had gone away for good.
  • (14) A new propaganda video by Islamic State featuring the British photojournalist John Cantlie, in which he says it is the “last film in this series”, has appeared online.
  • (15) I think he had been saying all season that with three or four games to go he will tell us where we are.
  • (16) It was with unanimous consent.” He denied that Trump’s tweets had played a part, saying: “No, no, no.
  • (17) That doesn't necessarily mean she'll like what I'm saying."
  • (18) This week's unconfirmed claims that Kim's uncle Jang Song Thaek had been ousted from power have refocused attention on the country's domestic affairs; some analysts say Jang was associated with reform .
  • (19) On the other hand the TUC says people should also be prepared to be out in the sun for several hours and bring sunscreen and if possible a hat.
  • (20) 'The French see it as an open and shut case,' says a Paris-based diplomat.