TV Tropes
/tiː viː troʊps/
CommonA wiki that catalogs recurring narrative devices and storytelling patterns across all media.
Notorious for being impossible to leave. People frequently describe 'falling into a TV Tropes hole.' The site itself has a self-aware page about this. Saying something 'is a trope' often implies you first learned the pattern exists through TV Tropes.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | i went to look up one thing on tv tropes and emerged 3 hours later having read about 90 different stories | The site's linking structure caused an unplanned extended browsing session. | tumblr, 2022 |
| 02 | tv tropes has a name for this character type and reading that page explained everything i hated about the writing | Identifying a character trope helped articulate a feeling about poor writing. | reddit, 2024 |
| 03 | this show is running every tv tropes cliche at once and i love it | The show uses familiar patterns in an excessive but enjoyable way. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | do NOT go to tv tropes unless you have the whole day free | Warning that the site will consume hours through its internal link structure. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Naming a recurring narrative pattern in something you're watching or reading.
- Pointing someone to where a storytelling device is documented.
- Warning someone they are about to lose hours of their day.
- Citing a named pattern to explain why something feels familiar.
Do not use it when
- You mean a general fan wiki about a specific show or game.Use “fandom wiki” instead.
- You mean general literary analysis or film criticism.
TV Tropes vs fandom wiki
TV Tropes
TV Tropes documents patterns and devices across all media, naming and categorizing storytelling conventions.
fandom-wiki
A fandom wiki documents the specific characters, lore, and events within one franchise.
Origin and context
TV Tropes launched in 2004 as a site for documenting tropes in the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then expanded to cover all media. It became a significant piece of internet culture through its exhaustive cross-linking and the widespread joke about losing hours on the site.
- First seen
- 2004
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/tvtropes