as in dialect
a word or phrase that is used mostly in informal speech; a colloquial expression
His English is very good, but he has trouble understanding certain colloquialisms.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colloquialism
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
It’s been a year of chaos and colloquialisms, as the internet shaped not only our vocabulary but our entire political system.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025
And, like any colloquialism popularized by an internet trend, celebs, brands and even the president himself cashed in on the sensation.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2024
Kam understood the regional colloquialism assignment!
—Cindi Andrews and Katie Wissman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
It’s been a year of chaos and colloquialisms, as the internet shaped not only our vocabulary but our entire political system.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025
And, like any colloquialism popularized by an internet trend, celebs, brands and even the president himself cashed in on the sensation.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2024
Kam understood the regional colloquialism assignment!
—Cindi Andrews and Katie Wissman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
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The interview was conducted in a mixture of English and Low German, a dialect widely spoken within the Christian Mennonite community.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
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While Zubac is from Croatia and Bogdanovic is Serbian, their native Balkan language is the same but spoken with different dialects.—
Janis Carr,
Orange County Register,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This can hamper an enterprise’s ability to differentiate its services, particularly when specialized tasks or industry-specific terminology are involved.—
Eli David,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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Sailing lessons: Learn basic sailing skills and terminology from the instructors of the Central Florida Community Sailing Program during this six-session class.—
Joe Rassel,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.—
Liam Quinn,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Users will be able to create their AI Twin in a few minutes by taking a selfie and talking for a few minutes introducing themselves and an AI Twin of them is created that can talk, chat, and sound just like them and can talk in 32 languages.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There is a French idiom that says when something is so easy, it can be done with ‘les doigts dans le nez’ — the fingers in the nose.—
Liam Tharme,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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While often used sarcastically to mock true believers, the idiom reflects Italy’s enduring ambiguity toward Fascism, even 80 years after its fall.—
Mattia Ferraresi,
airmail.news,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
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English speakers also adapted vocabulary from the Vikings.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
11 Mar. 2025
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One minor but effective way to sound more assertive is to nix hedging language from your vocabulary, Barbara Shabazz, PsyD, clinical psychologist based in Virginia Beach, tells SELF.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An article in the Wall Street Journal outlines Generation Beta’s dilemma: In current teen slang—used by Generation Alpha—calling someone a beta isn’t exactly a compliment.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
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The topics range from decoding teenage slang to the viral generation challenge.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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