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
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
-
Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, was, in the vernacular, the real deal.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
This eye-catching merger of the vernacular and the global — winding its way into the pavilion with wooden flooring, shelving and displays — will host discussions, performances and, hopefully, more impromptu gatherings.—
Sam Lubell,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
-
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Employees who join a startup often thrive in fast-moving, informal environments, so when the company begins to scale, there’s often a fear of losing that agility.—
Lyuba Brouillard,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
Though there was no official vote, an informal vote revealed the teams were split 16-16 on the matter, according to an individual in the room during deliberations.—
Tess DeMeyer,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Image These Days by Lucy Caldwell London during the Blitz has become a familiar subject of World War II fiction.—
Alida Becker,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Powered by nine proprietary learning methods, the platform integrates real-time cultural signals - from memes and slang to idioms and ancient lore.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
But the nature of all idioms is that their meaning cannot be deduced from their components; the phrase kicked the bucket does not put the English speaker in the mind of an actual bucket, just as the word death does not remind him terribly of the letter D.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
Our expert, Tim Gideon gave it a solid review and called it a strong pick for casual, everyday use.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
26 May 2025
-
While PlayStation and Xbox are huge markets for casual players, PC is where GTA Online has thrived thanks to the large scale modding community.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
The number of rocket launches has increased dramatically in recent years, leading pilots and academics to warn about a growing danger in the air for flights that have only minutes to get out of harm’s way when a mishap — as explosions and other failures are called in industry parlance — occurs.—
Heather Vogell,
ProPublica,
15 May 2025
-
Grace, in contemporary internet parlance, often means forgiveness.—
Dorothy Fortenberry,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share