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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colloquial
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The colloquial term Paczki Day is used for Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
—Jelissa Burns, Freep.com, 6 Jan. 2026
In this context, something as small and lightweight as a pair of earrings could serve as the colloquial glue that united people under one national identity, at a moment in history when destabilization and separation were the modi operandi of a country sharing a border with Ukraine.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 30 Dec. 2025
The rest of the book is spent expanding on these maxims one by one, in her colloquial, easy style, with references to classic psychological studies, her own research and her own experiences.
—Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Adjective
This time around, our Traitors and Faithfuls are a beautiful assortment of Housewives, Survivors, athletes, actors, and plenty of mothers — both literal (Donna Kelce) and in the colloquial sense (Porsha Williams).
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The colloquial term Paczki Day is used for Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
—Jelissa Burns, Freep.com, 6 Jan. 2026
In this context, something as small and lightweight as a pair of earrings could serve as the colloquial glue that united people under one national identity, at a moment in history when destabilization and separation were the modi operandi of a country sharing a border with Ukraine.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 30 Dec. 2025
The rest of the book is spent expanding on these maxims one by one, in her colloquial, easy style, with references to classic psychological studies, her own research and her own experiences.
—Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquial
Adjective
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Translated into many vernacular languages, the poetry and philosophy of Firdausi, Attar, Rumi, Hafez, Sa‘di, Nizami, Ibn Sina, and Nizam al-Mulk assumed a canonical authority across Asia.—
Pankaj Mishra,
The New York Review of Books,
13 Mar. 2026
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Language, Chandler protests, lives and flourishes in bent rules, vernacular expressions—the unruly stuff of life.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Their conversational dance is intricate and fascinating.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
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Gartner predicts that by 2028 conversational assistants will resolve 70% of customer-service journeys, handling tasks such as triage, routing and issue resolution.—
Michelle Taite,
Harvard Business Review,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The exhibit’s title is derived from a Spanish colloquialism.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her vetting crusades have brought about a new Washington colloquialism.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The service Service is friendly, but informal, reflecting the relaxed Malibu energy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
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That reflects poorly on the speaker, who has an informal rule that no major bill will move to the floor unless at least 60 of his chamber’s 78 Democrats support it.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There’s a familiar rhetorical pattern to retirement announcements by most members of Congress.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Veo would take over that month, offering the familiar standing scooters now used, along with seated scooters, two-person scooters, cargo bikes and trikes.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This further underscored the symbiotic relationship between Humphreys and smooth jazz, an idiom not held in high regard by the person booking the concerts.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Those books introduced me to a vision of American teenage life and taught me the rhythms and idioms of American English, nuances that would later replace my Britishisms and shape my career as a journalist.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But even casual high school boys basketball fans in the western suburbs recognize the Wolves as a force to be reckoned with by going toe-to-toe against top programs in the state under the direction of Velasquez, who is stepping down for some very good personal reasons.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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Her makeup was similarly casual, with a natural, glowy finish and peach lips.—
Pamela Vázquez,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In military parlance, this usually translates to one attack on a specific target that might involve multiple weapons.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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In baseball parlance, Naylor looked runnerish.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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