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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conversational
having the style and content of everyday conversation
a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in colloquialism
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 colloquial
Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
These posts range from theological breakdowns to translating scriptures in colloquial GenZ language, visualizing Bible stories through AI technologies, and customizing bible covers.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
While Birnbaum’s playful take on Murakami’s prose established the hip, colloquial style the author is still mostly known for today, his translation of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World cut about 100 pages from the Japanese text.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
Today’s Connections groups are... Yellow group — baffle Green group — curse
Blue group — Toy Story characters, familiarly
Purple group — colloquial suffixes
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert!
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for colloquial 
Adjective
The variance between the two is sizeable, necessitating the need to distinguish one from the other and combat the colloquial shorthand traditionally used to conjure one with the other.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
These posts range from theological breakdowns to translating scriptures in colloquial GenZ language, visualizing Bible stories through AI technologies, and customizing bible covers.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
While Birnbaum’s playful take on Murakami’s prose established the hip, colloquial style the author is still mostly known for today, his translation of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World cut about 100 pages from the Japanese text.
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
Today’s Connections groups are... Yellow group — baffle Green group — curse
Blue group — Toy Story characters, familiarly
Purple group — colloquial suffixes
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert!
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for colloquial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquial
Adjective
-
Tennis is a difficult business; only a tiny sample size of its athletes achieve enough to become part of the vernacular.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Glass-block walls nod to the Big Apple vernacular while a mural by Shantell Martin invokes the local legacy of street art.—
Sam Cochran,
Architectural Digest,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Every language has its dialects, and each dialect can have its unique spin on colloquialisms.—
Victoria Song,
The Verge,
24 Jan. 2025
-
There is even a colloquialism for those who curry favor among the moneyed on the island of Palm Beach.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Week In Review: Trump’s Cabinet Picks Is Our Favorite New Reality Show By Katherine Fung Senior Writer 0 For the first time in eight years—almost to the day—The Celebrity Apprentice will make an informal return to American audiences.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Getting the right help to where it’s needed Every study of a large-scale disaster conducted by the Disaster Research Center has revealed some level of emergent, informal helping behavior.—
James Kendra,
The Conversation,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Reyes has a small crew including his sons, but the threats feel familiar, reminiscent of the 1980s when immigration raids were common on worksites.—
Rachel Uranga,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2025
-
The sense of disharmony is immediate: a familiar scene of youth and learning is grimly debased into one of peril.—
Kyle Chayka,
The New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The Maze Runner actor sloughs off Roman’s moody persona, replacing that twin’s abrasive bluntness and struggle with idioms with the other’s quick wit and seductive charm.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
-
For instance, the grammar and translation method has been modernized to help students grasp complex concepts like abstract words, idioms and metaphors.—
Geoffrey Alphonso,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Columbia Women’s Ice Maiden II Boots Shopping for casual snow days?—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Jan. 2025
-
Not as a character so much as a reference point in casual dialogue.—
Glynnis MacNicol,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
But Dell is taking it further by also adding a bit of auto industry parlance with three sub-tiers: Base, Plus, and Premium.—
Antonio G. Di Benedetto,
The Verge,
6 Jan. 2025
-
The word has been in medieval parlance for centuries.—
Tim Spiers,
The Athletic,
29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But newsrooms are often gossipy places, and the letter leaked out on Wednesday, first to David Folkenflik of NPR.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN,
15 Jan. 2025
-
In an attempt to hang loose with the gang at a PMF, you may be exposed to gossipy whispers about the foibles, secrets or annoying idiosyncrasies of fellow execs or co-workers.—
Dr. David Lenihan,
Forbes,
2 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to colloquial
Thesaurus Entries Near colloquial
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share