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
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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
-
In addition to the musical reconstruction, McBurney has been making a contemporary English version of the libretto, with the translator Hannah Whitley, that preserves the original’s vernacular.—
Jeffrey Arlo Brown,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
-
This therapist speaks in a very specific kind of vernacular.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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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When the executive order goes into effect, de minimis packages from China will be subject to an informal entry process, and each package that travels to the U.S. via international post will now be subject to a tariff rate of 120 percent or $100, a rate that will increase to $200 after June 1.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
14 Apr. 2025
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What exactly are the rules for saving seats at an informal event where seats are not assigned? Related Articles Miss Manners: Heroes?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The panel did not stray from their earlier guesses for him, throwing out familiar names like Dave Matthews, Daryl Hall, and Pat Monahan of Train once more.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Frémaux said there’s more to come, but this wasn’t your typical Cannes Competition lineup studded with older, familiar auteurs.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, Andrews and his actors find Chekhov by abandoning the paraphernalia of the writer’s universe and groping, in their own idiom, across a perilously empty stage, toward one another.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
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Which is fitting for a composer who, even when developing a homegrown idiom of his own, was criticized for sounding too European.—
Joshua Barone,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The Retreat Linen Top and matching Mid-rise Shorts, both over 40 percent off, can be styled together for a polished resort outfit or worn separately with basics for casual, everyday wear.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2025
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If the weather promises to be nice, pull the picnic tables together for a casual potluck gathering full of everyone's favorite Easter food.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In aerospace parlance, such low-flying spacecraft are referred to as Very-low Earth Orbit, or VLEO, satellites.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
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Even among digital natives – youthful, tech-savvy users who are well versed in the casual parlance of text messaging – a text plastered with shortcuts still felt undercooked.—
David Fang,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the debates over the more gossipy anecdotes obscure the larger trends that surface through the book.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Tom Hollander stars as Truman Capote, who manages to scandalize the entire Manhattan social scene by writing a viciously gossipy novel about them.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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