1
as in geek
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits
was such a nerd in college that she spent Saturday nights at the library
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intellectual
a person with strong intellectual interests
an unlikely romance between a nerd and a campus beauty queen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nerd
Perhaps the most famous home in Los Angeles, The Stahl House, designed by modernist master Pierre Koenig, has inspired countless architecture nerds.
—
Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Of two Montana homesteaders at war over a gate installed on a private road, one is a nerd culture YouTuber who directs his fans’ ire toward the ever-present thorn in his side.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Only a nerd takes pleasure in responsibility, and we are firmly ensconced in an anti-nerd epoch.
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
It was acquired by Brown-Forman in 1936 and promptly ruined by the company, according to today’s whiskey nerd standards, a few years later when it was turned into a blended whiskey (a category that was more popular at the time, and cheaper to make).
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nerd
Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Of two Montana homesteaders at war over a gate installed on a private road, one is a nerd culture YouTuber who directs his fans’ ire toward the ever-present thorn in his side.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Only a nerd takes pleasure in responsibility, and we are firmly ensconced in an anti-nerd epoch.
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
It was acquired by Brown-Forman in 1936 and promptly ruined by the company, according to today’s whiskey nerd standards, a few years later when it was turned into a blended whiskey (a category that was more popular at the time, and cheaper to make).
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nerd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerd
Noun
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Their designers are a bunch of obsessive geeks, in the best way possible, who take pride in producing designs no one else can touch.—
Jakob Schiller,
Outside,
16 Feb. 2026
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Jim described himself as a lifelong car geek, but his schoolteacher mother was a single parent.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While the game remained popular among the elite its ornate imagery also continued to fascinate artists and intellectuals, laying the groundwork for symbolic interpretations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
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Thea has taken on the mission of reforming Ejlert Lovborg (Alexander Hurt), Hedda’s former lover, a brilliant intellectual whose alcoholism has been in check under Thea’s steadying influence.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerd. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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