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
Duchamp nerds—there are many of them—will find much to admire in this chronological presentation.
—
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
And after years of comics being the domain of middle-aged male nerds, the audience for the books is younger and more diverse than before, thanks to Gen Z growing up on non-superhero graphic novels such as Dav Pikey’s Dog Man and the works of Raina Telgemeier.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
For space nerds, that's about 15% more power than the SLS rocket's Saturn V predecessor used for the Apollo missions, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
But 15-year-old high school speech and debate nerds would catch it right away.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
There was even that party where Rick Ross had to fend off an army of crypto nerds who were trying to scale the stage.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Streamers, corporate entities, and big-name superstars have splashed around the same waters as the DIY SoundCloud nerds.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
One, come on, the data nerds at The Athletic will tell you an assist is not a definitive barometer as to how good a player is.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
And after years of comics being the domain of middle-aged male nerds, the audience for the books is younger and more diverse than before, thanks to Gen Z growing up on non-superhero graphic novels such as Dav Pikey’s Dog Man and the works of Raina Telgemeier.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
For space nerds, that's about 15% more power than the SLS rocket's Saturn V predecessor used for the Apollo missions, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
But 15-year-old high school speech and debate nerds would catch it right away.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
There was even that party where Rick Ross had to fend off an army of crypto nerds who were trying to scale the stage.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Streamers, corporate entities, and big-name superstars have splashed around the same waters as the DIY SoundCloud nerds.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
One, come on, the data nerds at The Athletic will tell you an assist is not a definitive barometer as to how good a player is.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerds
Noun
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Such comes with a 12-game win streak and computer numbers that make even the geeks party on Broadway.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
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Part sports hangout, part brewpub, The Ram is the sort of wide-net concept that draws families, high school football fans and — back when craft IPAs were cool — even beer geeks.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In it, a group of Catholic intellectuals discussed a new school opening in Steubenville, Ohio.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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Just last month it was reported that Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers organiser, raped women and girls, and Noam Chomsky—one of the left’s foremost intellectuals whose most popular book is called Manufacturing Consent—is right there on the Epstein private jet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nerds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerds. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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