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

In the midst of the festivities, among a crowd of bookish faculty and graduate students, Annie and Wendy convinced an overheated newspaper photographer who’d been sent to cover the event to abandon his turtleneck. — Robert P. Baird, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026

And of course, in a general sense, many inquisitive artists are as bookish as anyone. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

This bookish, boutique hotel sits artfully on the edge of Nye Beach. — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Read our full bookish tribute to Parton here, or learn how to sign up for the Imagination Library here. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Aug. 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