bookish

adjective

book·​ish ˈbu̇-kish 

1

a

: of or relating to books

b

: fond of books and reading

2

a

: inclined to rely on book knowledge

b

of words : literary and formal as opposed to colloquial and informal

c

: given to literary or scholarly pursuits

also : affectedly learned

bookishly adverb

bookishness noun

Synonyms of bookish

• literary

Examples of bookish in a Sentence

Their teacher was a bookish fellow.

“fealty” is a bookish synonym for “loyalty”

Recent Examples on the Web

Daeron Targaryen Daeron Targaryen, otherwise known as Daeron the Drunkard, is a bookish and melancholy Targaryen prince known for his prophetic dreams. —Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026

The novel follows Harriet Bancroft, a bookish wallflower compiling a dictionary of slang. —Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026

There are football dads and Lego dads, bookish dads and surfer dads, trans dads and gay dads, young dads and old dads. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 19 June 2026

The series, which aired from 2000 to 2007, centered around fast-talking mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her bookish teen daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) in their small, fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

bookish

adjective

book·​ish ˈbu̇k-ish 

1

: fond of reading

2

: tending to rely on knowledge from books rather than practical experience

3

: resembling the language of books : formal

bookishly adverb

bookishness noun