as in intellectual
much given to learning and thinking
nerdish students will find several university organizations where they will fit in
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 nerdish
In a deliberately cheap-looking black-and-white faux-’50s horror movie, the comedy team of Tim & Eric (Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim) play nerdish mad scientists who capture and bring to their laboratory a dino-fish monster who looks like a chomping-jawed gill-man made of papier-mâché.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerdish
Adjective
-
Today’s economy rewards intellectual horsepower.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Chattel slavery stole people’s families, intellectual creations, land, access to resources, and, for some, spiritual foundations.—
Marcus Anthony Hunter,
Time,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
When Mamdani meets The Athletic, however, even more cerebral matters are at play.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
This extends to the series as well, which, refreshingly, forgoes the usual guns and gore for a more wholesome, cerebral, and darkly comedic take on the genre.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Zachary Stevenson’s performance replicates the nerdy-yet-hip Texan through impressive guitar licks and superb vocals that are equally comfortable with sweet ballads and on-the-edge rockabilly songs.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
At that point, the misunderstandings of me being weird or nerdy or stuck up or whatever kind of just went away.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
These shy, geeky songs grope toward feelings that their human vessels don’t fully comprehend.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
-
There’s also bocce, bingo, and something called Nerd Nite, when folks give presentations on geeky topics from chemistry to Star Trek.—
Charles Usher,
Midwest Living,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
According to Mercy Fash and Emani Campbell’s emerging scholarly research at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, this intersection is worthy of greater attention because of an exacerbated threat that could severely harm Black women.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The women had been close friends while studying for their doctorates some years earlier, but Catherine has since grown resentful of Leonora’s career, and dismissive of women whose scholarly ambitions come before marital subservience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerdish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerdish. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
