as in literary
suggestive of the vocabulary used in books
"fealty" is a bookish synonym for "loyalty"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bookish
Over the course of the novel, Agu undergoes a treacherous coming of age, shedding his former identity as a bookish boy and entering into a manhood marked by extraordinary violence, abuse and horror.
—
Katie Kitamura
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
The new breed of cocktail bars were demure, sit-down only affairs, while EO was packed like a nightclub; the new breed of bartender was bookish and slight, more likely to offer the history of gin than the score of a game, while EO bartenders were essentially throwing the party every single night.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2025
Sure, director Michael Bay puts former British spy John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) and bookish FBI agent Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) through all manner of car chases, explosions, gun battles, and a relationship with a former prom queen.
—Sarah Sprague, EW.com, 2 July 2025
Solar Power’s acoustic shampoo-commercial pop signified a degree of freedom from the usual rueful, bookish synth-pop grind.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookish
Katie Kitamura
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
The new breed of cocktail bars were demure, sit-down only affairs, while EO was packed like a nightclub; the new breed of bartender was bookish and slight, more likely to offer the history of gin than the score of a game, while EO bartenders were essentially throwing the party every single night.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2025
Sure, director Michael Bay puts former British spy John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) and bookish FBI agent Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) through all manner of car chases, explosions, gun battles, and a relationship with a former prom queen.
—Sarah Sprague, EW.com, 2 July 2025
Solar Power’s acoustic shampoo-commercial pop signified a degree of freedom from the usual rueful, bookish synth-pop grind.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookish
literary
Adjective
-
It was meant to show how the history of human evolution arises from our literary relationship to the earth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Although Harold is not literary fiction’s first obsessive ruminator, what makes Muscle Man feel so plugged into the moment is how common the predicament feels.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookish. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share