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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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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While over 20 dialects are spoken in Liberia, English is the official language of the country.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
10 July 2025
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Look for loot and get a glimpse of life in the historic Marolles district south of the city center, once famous for the increasingly rare local dialect, Brusseleer, a.k.a.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The terminology was familiar to locals when trying to sniff out stray Mancs around football matches and the crowd loved it — although one of them scaled a 260ft floodlight and refused to come down as the anthemic bass from Loose Fit’s opening chords followed.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
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There’s little turnover in terminology, or in culture.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
Noun
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English is widely spoken across Puerto Rico, but travelers should keep in mind that Spanish is the island's universal language.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
26 July 2025
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The money, which was used to found a range of initiatives including teacher training and English language programs, was suspended by the Trump administration on June 30 pending a review by the federal Office of Management and Budget.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Noun
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To quote a homespun idiom, there are different horses for different courses.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
23 July 2025
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Especially in multilingual markets, users frequently mix languages and use non-standard grammar, local idioms, creative spelling and hybrid sentence structures.—
Alessa Cross,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Noun
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There’s almost a template to the Lexington format and a distinctive vocabulary too.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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So, in the case of La Tête d’Or, [chef] Daniel [Boulud] had this ambition to create something that was kind of a grand New York steakhouse but with a French influence, which led to a more refined vocabulary, and that led to wanting to elevate the cooking to be on display.—
Sofia Perez,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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The use of technology is overdone, the slang is annoying and the characters seem unlikable.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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Crashing out is a slang term used to negatively describe emotional overload or emotional dysregulation that presents as sudden, angry, frustrated, or distressing emotional outbursts or behaviors.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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