DONNISH Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

donnish

adjective

Definition of donnish

as in professorial

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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 donnish Much of it is donnish intellectual history, full of interesting but digressive discussions. — Jeffrey Collins, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for donnish

Adjective

He was sometimes criticized by progressive Democrats as being too professorial and by conservatives as being too progressive.

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Her account there is excessive and loose, a counterweight to her essays and memoirs, which can seem opaque and professorial.

— Emma Alpern, Vulture, 17 June 2026

Definition of professorial

Adjective

Educators are urged to critically evaluate these tools, prioritizing pedagogical value and student thinking over mere feature adoption.

— Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Her work examines fashion as a cultural and ideological system, with a focus on copying, repetition, and reuse as critical and pedagogical strategies to question dominant notions of originality and value.

— Vogue, Vogue, 30 July 2026

Definition of pedagogical

Adjective

Over the years, The Book Rack has offered thousands of books across a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres, along with candles, notebooks, bookish gifts and more than 100 puzzles.

— Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Sophie Pearce is a Welsh travel blogger who has visited Egypt, India and New Zealand on a quest to see magical, historic and bookish destinations.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of bookish

Adjective

If tweedy free-speech absolutists and their aggrieved students are capable of finding common ground, this will be the issue that unites them.

— Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
As men's wear grew less formal, Woody Allen would stake a claim on baggy khaki and corduroy as the uniform of a tweedy, tightly wound New Yorker.

— Joshua Hunt, New York Times, 12 June 2024

Definition of tweedy

Adjective

All this should be very exciting for fans who have long known one of their favorite games is still unbelievably nerdy and cheesy, but still wanted to see it in the mainstream.

— Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
These polyester fits have also been parodied in video skits, where comedians put on an all-over polyester print outfit, like a wolf T-shirt and galaxy pants, and parody the stereotypical nerdy kid.

— Rachel Hale, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of nerdy

Browse Nearby Words

donning

donnish

donnybrook

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“Donnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donnish. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of donnish

adjective

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