1
as in geeks
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 intellectuals
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 nerds
After five wild seasons, the series finale of Netflix’s global phenomenon brought the journey of Hawkins’ finest nerds to a dramatic close, vanishing Vecna for good.
—
Yohana Desta, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2026
And yes, horoscope nerds, that means there’s some astrology in the mix, too.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Yes, the red carpet that stretches along the Croisette is famed for its archaic dress code, leaving Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, et al at the mercy of prescriptivist film nerds for daring to participate in the sheer and sexy.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2025
The rest of the beauty comes from the ocean’s adorable creatures, which are enthusiastically studied by a group of lovable coral nerds with an infectious passion.
—Tomris Laffly, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Truly, Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic sounds like a feast for cinephiles and classics nerds alike.
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
Save for some divisive lore decisions that threw Reddit megafans into a conniption, not least the destruction of Shady Sands and the seeming demise of the New California Republic, the emergent fan consensus was that Fallout was made with the love, care, and reverence of fellow Fallout nerds.
—Jack King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit A Lego solar system will be a hit with space nerds, future astronauts, and anyone who knows science is actually cool.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 10 Dec. 2025
Give or take one or two, most Budgets are quickly forgotten by most people apart, maybe, from some politics nerds and the splendid folk at the Institute for Fiscal Studies who are paid to assess these things.
—Ian King, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
Yohana Desta, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2026
And yes, horoscope nerds, that means there’s some astrology in the mix, too.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Yes, the red carpet that stretches along the Croisette is famed for its archaic dress code, leaving Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, et al at the mercy of prescriptivist film nerds for daring to participate in the sheer and sexy.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 28 Dec. 2025
The rest of the beauty comes from the ocean’s adorable creatures, which are enthusiastically studied by a group of lovable coral nerds with an infectious passion.
—Tomris Laffly, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Truly, Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic sounds like a feast for cinephiles and classics nerds alike.
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025
Save for some divisive lore decisions that threw Reddit megafans into a conniption, not least the destruction of Shady Sands and the seeming demise of the New California Republic, the emergent fan consensus was that Fallout was made with the love, care, and reverence of fellow Fallout nerds.
—Jack King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit A Lego solar system will be a hit with space nerds, future astronauts, and anyone who knows science is actually cool.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 10 Dec. 2025
Give or take one or two, most Budgets are quickly forgotten by most people apart, maybe, from some politics nerds and the splendid folk at the Institute for Fiscal Studies who are paid to assess these things.
—Ian King, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerds
Noun
-
For several years, beer geeks got excited for beers like 3 Floyds’ Dark Lord Imperial Stout, the former Portsmouth Brewery’s Kate the Great, The Bruery’s Black Tuesday and Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Original Stout.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The pissed off punk rockers, the hopelessly antisocial geeks, and the kids doing drugs.—
David Alvarado,
Time,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Should be a fascinating account from one of our most important public intellectuals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The City of Lights became a refuge for Black artists and intellectuals, if not an uncomplicated one.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerds. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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