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
Relevance
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
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
Advertisement Especially for comedy nerds, the behind-the-scenes anecdotes about working with legends like Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder might be familiar.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
SmackDown also features the return of Jade Cargill, who has come under fire by nerds online for not defending her WWE Women’s Championship for 70 days.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
In the world of comedy nerds, Bamford and her work are beyond well known.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Consider this a nice reminder, fans, nerds, set dressers, designers, and anyone inclined to write about or reflect on musicians in previous New Yorks.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
And there are a lot of football nerds there.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2026
Good-looking nerds with glamorous jobs, but still nerds.
—Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
The award for cinematic and box office achievement went to Sinners, so Göransson was able to take the stage on the telecast (as a key member of the creative team of Ryan Coogler’s film), though only music nerds would have been able to ID him.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 12 Jan. 2026
Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Especially for comedy nerds, the behind-the-scenes anecdotes about working with legends like Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder might be familiar.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
SmackDown also features the return of Jade Cargill, who has come under fire by nerds online for not defending her WWE Women’s Championship for 70 days.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
In the world of comedy nerds, Bamford and her work are beyond well known.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Consider this a nice reminder, fans, nerds, set dressers, designers, and anyone inclined to write about or reflect on musicians in previous New Yorks.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
And there are a lot of football nerds there.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2026
Good-looking nerds with glamorous jobs, but still nerds.
—Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
The award for cinematic and box office achievement went to Sinners, so Göransson was able to take the stage on the telecast (as a key member of the creative team of Ryan Coogler’s film), though only music nerds would have been able to ID him.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerds
Noun
-
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
-
The stamp of the vaunted independent hip-hop label—which has built a reputation among its community of fanatical diehards and like-minded rap geeks for its lyric-forward, anti-commercial approach—can bring new eyes to a rapper overnight.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As Derya and Aziz’s hypocrisies, as upper-class intellectuals, are increasingly brought to the fore, Namal and Biçer’s conversational performances grow haggard and strained.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Villainous weirdos like Bronze Age Pervert, Curtis Yarvin, or Jack Donovan who populate the ranks of far-right intellectuals are obsessed with their own fabulism about antiquity, reminding one of the murderous gaggle of privileged college kids in Donna Tart’s 1993 campus novel The Secret History.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerds. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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