as in literary
suggestive of the vocabulary used in books
"fealty" is a bookish synonym for "loyalty"
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Recent Examples of bookish
For bookish nerds, this game was like catnip.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Nov. 2025
Jennifer’s Body follows two polar opposite best friends, the outgoing Jennifer and bookish Needy (Amanda Seyfried), whose friendship takes a turn when the former embarks on a murderous rampage of her male classmates.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2025
On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X and Goodreads, bookish users often tout images of impressive titles and aesthetically pleasing reading setups or monthly reading lists with dozens of books already checked off.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
To anyone as bookish as Lang, orchids may have summoned a whiff of Proust and Wilde.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookish
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Nov. 2025
Jennifer’s Body follows two polar opposite best friends, the outgoing Jennifer and bookish Needy (Amanda Seyfried), whose friendship takes a turn when the former embarks on a murderous rampage of her male classmates.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2025
On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X and Goodreads, bookish users often tout images of impressive titles and aesthetically pleasing reading setups or monthly reading lists with dozens of books already checked off.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
To anyone as bookish as Lang, orchids may have summoned a whiff of Proust and Wilde.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookish
literary
Adjective
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The pull toward explanation, footnotes, forcing a journalistic clarity in a literary piece that engages the politics that frame it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookish. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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