Definition of GEEKY

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. Geek became synonymous with nerd in the 1950s. Prior to this, the word 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.

Examples of geek in a Sentence

He was a real geek in high school. was quickly stereotyped as another computer geek

Recent Examples on the Web Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard absolutely shines as Cleo, a science geek and outsider at her school where she is constantly compared to her much more popular older sister, Molly (Paris Leclerc). — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "All of the Best Halloween Disney Movies," 18 Sep. 2020 Fans would simply rather line up behind a bona fide Texas legend than a geek from Queens. — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, "On his last strike: Is Jon Daniels the right GM for the Rangers’ rebuild?," 30 Aug. 2020 But back in the stink of Oscar’s room there are no signs of extraterrestrial life from Rodney or Ben, just the normal geek routine as Oscar rolls on his belly and returns to his midday nap. — David Gilbert, The New Yorker, "Cicadia," 17 Aug. 2020 Well over a century later, an artificial intelligence geek named Denis Shiryaev has transformed A Trip Down Market Street into something even more magical. — Matt Simon, Wired, "AI Magic Makes Century-Old Films Look New," 12 Aug. 2020 Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, the musical was adapted from a schlocky 1984 movie about a geek named Melvin who is thrown into a vat of toxic waste and becomes a slimy green superhero. — Harrison Smith, BostonGlobe.com, "Nick Cordero, Tony-nominated Broadway star, dies at 41 of coronavirus," 7 July 2020 Every car geek on earth dreamed of getting all three in the same place at the same time. — Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, "The Greatest Cars of All Time: Exotica," 5 July 2020 With annual geek mecca San Diego Comic-Con canceled this year due to coronavirus, Warner Bros. is holding a free 24-hour online event on Aug. 22 called DC FanDome. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "No Comic-Con, no problem: DC to hold its own superhero-filled virtual pop-culture convention in August," 17 June 2020 Tech geeks will enjoy new technology allowing use of a smartphone to monitor the trailer. — cleveland, "Really big rides: Piloting the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD," 30 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'geek.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.