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

Angela’s bookish young son Jonathan (Danny Pintauro) and her gloriously uninhibited mother Mona (Katherine Helmond) rounded out the household. —Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026

Patel grew up in a small village in the middle of England, performed with The Young Actors Company in Cambridge and turned professional at 17 — spending the next nine years playing the quiet, bookish Tamwar Masood on the British soap EastEnders. —Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026

For the city that produced the author, activist, actor and 19-time All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a bookish ectomorph with MVP-level talent is not entirely unheard of. —Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 9 June 2026

For the uninitiated, author Donna Tartt is the undisputed queen of the ambient mystery with bookish flair. —Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 3 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