1
as in vernacular
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conversational
having the style and content of everyday conversation
a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in colloquialism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colloquial
Jill Barton, The Conversation, 24 Jan. 2025
What is a Green Beret? Green Beret is the colloquial name used for members of the U.S. Army Special Forces.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
Purple group — colloquial suffixes (CORE, GATE, MANIA, PILLED)
No perfect game, but that's nine wins in a row.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
To push the colloquial gold envelope even further, Swift added a chain belt.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Adjective
Gorsuch used his short opinion on the dry topic of debt collection to declare a more colloquial style.
—Jill Barton, The Conversation, 24 Jan. 2025
What is a Green Beret? Green Beret is the colloquial name used for members of the U.S. Army Special Forces.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
Purple group — colloquial suffixes (CORE, GATE, MANIA, PILLED)
No perfect game, but that's nine wins in a row.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
To push the colloquial gold envelope even further, Swift added a chain belt.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquial
Adjective
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For Forbes, learning the defense itself wasn’t as intensive as understanding the Rams’ techniques and vernacular.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
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Originally appearing in Latin or Greek, several stories of transgender saints made their way into vernacular languages.—
Sarah Barringer,
The Conversation,
27 May 2025
Noun
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This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
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You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With its gleaming cabinetry, large central island and ample space for a large table and chairs for informal meals, this area has an undeniable contemporary feel and visual appeal.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
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This exemption enabled informal workers and women who had had career gaps due to childrearing, for instance, to retire with some security.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The latter star has landed a number of hits throughout the past few years by repurposing melodies and interpolating hooks from older, familiar smashes by other artists, reworking them into something exciting and new for a different audience.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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Absence of treatment is not absence of illness, of course, but given how much time Gauguin spent in hospitals, that such a familiar disease would have been missed seems unlikely.—
Susan Tallman,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Unleashing Wood has ushered in an exciting new phase for a widely influential band that has defined a state-of-the-art jazz idiom deeply engaged with other genres.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
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Scientists analyzed recordings of three groups of chimpanzees living in the Ivory Coast and found that chimps can combine their hoots, grunts and calls in a similar way to how humans use idioms or change the order of words to build new phrases.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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Born from old coffee bean bags, the canvas fabric stood out on the runway, crafted as a casual option for hanging close to shorelines.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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The woman’s friend and the casual man spend time every few weeks, play pool, and text daily.—
Stephanie Guerilus,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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In newspaper and wire service parlance, a dateline is the name of a place, typically written in capital letters and followed by an em dash, at the beginning of an article.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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In Israeli parlance, the prime minister is a freier—a sucker.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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LuPone is refreshingly gossipy in public in a way that’s largely died in our fearful-of-repercussions, fearful-of-retweets internet age.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
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In a world of algorithm game-playing and lyrics bundled with gossipy subtext, the band’s songs — which deftly blend garage rock and shoegaze — function as talismans affirming the importance of standing tall by your convictions.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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