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
Examples of bookish in a Sentence
Their teacher was a bookish fellow.
“fealty” is a bookish synonym for “loyalty”
Recent Examples on the Web
And yet Klein, in his distinctly bookish and measured approach, sometimes recalls an Obamian voice, if the former President had been a journalist with a beard, tattoos, and a predilection for Burning Man.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Jimbōchō is home to some 130 vintage book stores — Time Out highlights Isseido Booksellers and Kitazawa Bookstore as great starting points for a day of bookish exploring — as well as its coffee-shop culture and delicious curry houses.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Redford’s Joe Turner is a bookish CIA analyst who leaves the office for lunch one day and returns to find that all of his colleagues have been murdered.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
In fact, if the ongoing reign of multiplayer shooter Marvel Rivals is any indication, the comic book character wrapping might just be the incentive needed to get otherwise bookish gamers fully committed to the bloodsport.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookish
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David Remnick, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Jimbōchō is home to some 130 vintage book stores — Time Out highlights Isseido Booksellers and Kitazawa Bookstore as great starting points for a day of bookish exploring — as well as its coffee-shop culture and delicious curry houses.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Redford’s Joe Turner is a bookish CIA analyst who leaves the office for lunch one day and returns to find that all of his colleagues have been murdered.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
In fact, if the ongoing reign of multiplayer shooter Marvel Rivals is any indication, the comic book character wrapping might just be the incentive needed to get otherwise bookish gamers fully committed to the bloodsport.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookish
Cite this Entry
“Bookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookish. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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