dork

noun

ˈdȯrk 

plural dorks

informal

: an odd, socially awkward, unstylish person

I felt like a dork in that sweater.

As the years went by, Webb found other members of his own species—a dork here, a nerd there.

—Jerry Spinelli

The kinds of kids regarded by peers as dorks, nerds and screw-ups have suffered years of rejection, based on appearances, quirks and familial conditioning.

—Ed Blank

Her younger brother … is a wispy little wimp with dorks for pals … and a big problem with the local bully.

—Kendall Hamilton

also : an annoyingly stupid or foolish person : jerk sense 1a

… her dork of a do-nothing husband …

—Stephen Schaefer

My fear of the menace represented by this young dork is offset only by the concern that if I confront him, he'll come over one night and smash our patio furniture.

—Stanley Bing

Did you know?

Of Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks

Dork, when used to refer to a socially awkward or inept person, is a relatively recent word: our records indicate that it first appeared in writing in the 1960s. Two of its synonyms in this sense are likewise of fairly recent vintage. Nerd (typically used of a studious species of dork) dates from the 1950s; it was coined by Dr. Seuss in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo, although not in the sense that we use today. The usage of nerd is now often used in a neutral fashion to denote enthusiasm or expertise (theater nerd) or proudly as a self-identifying trait (word nerd). Geek became synonymous with nerd in the 1950s and has similarly seen increasing use with positive connotations, showing membership in a specialized group (film geek, beer geek) rather than social awkwardness. In its earliest meanings, geek referred to, among other things, a carnival performer who would bite the head off a live chicken, or other small animal, as part of an act.

Synonyms

• bookworm
• dink [slang]
• geek
• grind
• nerd
• swot [British]
• weenie
• wonk

Examples of dork in a Sentence

I look like a complete dork in these clothes.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the beginning, the idea was greeted with idle condescension: check out these grandiose Internet dorks and their digital Monopoly money. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024

Salary cap numbers are interesting for dorks like me, but ultimately, the only number that matters for this team is how many Lombardi Trophies are in the case at the team facility. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2024

Over the last few seasons, NFL teams have figured out what Madden players and fantasy football dorks have known for over a decade — running backs are disposable. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024

The comedian likens it to kids at the cool table calling her a dork. —Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of dick

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dork

noun

ˈdȯrk 

informal

: jerk sense 3