colloquialism

IPA/kəˈləʊkwiəlɪzəm/
IPA/kəˈləʊkwiəlɪzəm/

colloquialism — noun

  • colloquialismsingular
  • colloquialismsplural

1. an informal term that people typically use in everyday talk instead of in formal

1.名詞B2
釋義

an informal term that people typically use in everyday talk instead of in formal documents, making speech sound casual and natural rather than stiff.

例句

Tamar picked up several local colloquialisms during her year in Glasgow.

picked up [colloquialisms] — learned informally by exposure

The teacher explained that 'gonna' is a colloquialism and should not appear in academic essays.

colloquialism vs formal register — not appropriate in academic writing

同義詞
  • informal expression

    broader term that covers any casual phrase, not necessarily tied to spoken language

  • everyday phrase

    emphasises how common the phrase is in daily life rather than its informality

  • slang

    more restricted in use — slang is very informal, often limited to a particular social group or generation

反義詞
  • formal term

    a word or phrase suited to official, academic, or professional writing

  • technical term

    a precise expression used within a specialised field, not in everyday talk

文法句型

a colloquialism

colloquialisms (plural)

用法筆記

Colloquialism is a formal label for an informal type of language. The word itself belongs to academic or analytical contexts — you would describe 'bucks' as a colloquialism for 'dollars', but you would not call it a colloquialism in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌That word is a colloquialism slang.
✅That word is a colloquialism.
💡colloquialism already describes the informal nature; adding 'slang' is redundant.
❌He spoke in colloquialisms.
✅He used a lot of colloquialisms in his speech.
💡'speak in colloquialisms' is uncommon; 'use colloquialisms' is the natural pattern.