nerd

noun \ ˈnərd \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Editor's Note: Of nerds, geeks, and dorks

Definition of nerd

: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits

computer nerds

… single-minded math and science nerds …
—Anna Quindlen

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nerdiness

play \ˈnər-dē-nəs\ noun

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nerdish

play \ˈnər-dish\ adjective

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nerdy

play \ˈnər-dē\ adjective

See nerd defined for English-language learners

See nerd defined for kids

Examples of nerd in a Sentence

He dresses like a nerd.
was such a nerd in college that she spent Saturday nights at the library

Recent Examples of nerd from the Web

For the next five years, Kennesaw State University will have $200,000 more a year to make make black and Hispanic nerds more successful.

— ben brasch, ajc, "Kennesaw State gets $1M grant for Hispanic, black STEM students," 21 June 2018
Every year, Apple hosts a Worldwide Developers Conference, formally called WWDC and informally called Nerd Jams (by me, a nerd).

— andrew goble, GQ, "Apple WWDC 2018: The 4 Biggest iPhone Improvements for iOS 12," 5 June 2018
The only people that are going to go are going to be space nerds.

— Fox News, "2014 photo of detained children used as swipe against Trump," 3 June 2018
But most people who read comic books are not nerds.

— michael harriot, The Root, "The Black Person’s Guide to Avengers: Infinity War," 27 Apr. 2018
So where were the DC diehard politics nerds on Monday night?

— saba hamedy, CNN, "DC booksellers expected 'Fire and Fury' crowds for Comey book. Instead, they got mostly journalists," 17 Apr. 2018
For all intents and purposes, Ruby, Monse, and Jamal are nerds.

— sesali bowen, refinery29.com, "On My Block's Diversity Is Anything But Basic," 20 Mar. 2018
People were there to work, which I, as a total nerd, really appreciated.

— patti greco, Cosmopolitan, "5 Delightful Fifty Shades Freed Tidbits From Eloise Mumford," 16 Feb. 2018
Then there’s Lonzo Ball, who is a nerd in all the senses but grew up idolizing James (which is telling in a city that worships Kobe) and has in many ways patterned his pass-first approach to the game after him.

— chris gayomali, GQ, "The Upside of the Lakers," 2 July 2018

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

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.

Origin and Etymology of nerd

perhaps from nerd, a creature in the children's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950) by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1951

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

nerd Synonyms

NERD Defined for English Language Learners

nerd

noun

Definition of nerd for English Language Learners

: a person who behaves awkwardly around other people and usually has unstylish clothes, hair, etc.
: a person who is very interested in technical subjects, computers, etc.