slang
as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily kept getting typecast as the hero's dorky sidekick

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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 dorky While those early performances cemented his status as the typical dorky average-Joe teen, Hall evolved into a versatile actor who has played heroes, villains, and everything in between. Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2025 Admittedly, their dorky little fist bump is kind of cute. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025 With the success of Nobody Wants This, Adam Brody has yet again won the hearts of viewers with his portrayal of an affable, slightly dorky sweetheart, an example of typecasting done right. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2025 The series followed the popular guitar-shredding Drake Parker (Bell) and the helplessly dorky Josh Nichols (Peck), two high schoolers who become unlikely step-brothers after their parents get married. Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dorky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dorky
Adjective
  • This is just stupid how successful this is, but that’s really underselling it.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2025
  • Camp, stupid, joyful—to both own and access—Labubu has taken over.
    Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 31 May 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • Still, even if the growth is slower than in some North American leagues, European teams continue to appreciate.
    Justin Teitelbaum, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • The solution to getting those who may be slower to embrace AI isn’t to push them harder, but to coach them and consider their backgrounds.
    Greg Edwards, The Conversation, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Ahead of the most important game of the year, Luke Esquivel said the key to a strong performance will be simple.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2025
  • In addition to experiencing a surge of sensual energy with greater emphasis on life’s simple pleasures, Venus in Taurus has everything to do with feeling grounded and finding stability in both love and finances.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • In her papers, there were thick scrapbooks of Christmas cards, many from fellow-celebrities—Berg clearly adored Christmas.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • Jane is heard asking the male escort to wear a condom, but is interrupted by Combs, whose voice appears thick and slurred, as music pulsed in the background.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dorky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dorky. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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