NERDISH Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

nerdish

adjective

as in intellectual

much given to learning and thinking nerdish students will find several university organizations where they will fit in

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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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerdish

Adjective

Living with the uncertainty about what the future might hold was exciting, overwhelming, an intellectual challenge as well as an emotional one.

— Annie Karni, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Her accomplishments reflect the creativity, intellectual curiosity, and ambition that define Rutgers graduates, and her connection to New Jersey makes this recognition especially meaningful.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of intellectual

Adjective

The cerebral Cady that Bardem inhabits spent nearly two decades in prison convicted for his wife’s murder.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
His appreciation for Twardzik, a tough and cerebral floor general for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1970s, is a deeper cut.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of cerebral

Adjective

But the film overflows with childlike wonder, a comic-strip dream of girls next door and nerdy weirdoes growing muscles with puberty.

— Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Aug. 2026
That’s a long journey for a kid who grew up in rural New Jersey as a nerdy outcast who found escape in comics and art.

— Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of nerdy

Adjective

That means regular public access through exhibitions, posted hours, or tours, along with educational programs, lectures, and publications, scholarly research access, and rigorous cataloging.

— Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Young told the court about his chaotic upbringing and his recent scholarly pursuits.

— Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of scholarly

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nerd

nerdish

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“Nerdish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerdish. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of nerdish

adjective

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