nerd

noun

ˈnərd 

plural nerds

1

: a person devoted to intellectual, academic, or technical pursuits or interests

This book is essential reading for every hacker, computer nerd, systems analyst, middle manager or computer-store browser enamored of computer wizardry.

—William Stockton

He's happy to be thought of as a nerd with street cred. He [Neil deGrasse Tyson] shines best in impromptu settings like talk shows or needling cosmologists at the annual Asimov debates … about nothingness or alternate universes.

—Dennis Overbye

Will a dab of Shakespeare daintily perfume my wit or just sound like the literary belching of a compulsive nerd?

—Gary Taylor

also : a person preoccupied with or devoted to a particular activity or field of interest

At college she was a theater nerd. … "I wasn't afraid to jam, with the windows down, to Phantom of the Opera," she [Kristen Bell] says.

—Troy Patterson

Working beside him is his partner, Ron Johnson, another self-described snow nerd …

—David Quammen

2

: an unstylish or socially awkward person

[Sitcom character Steven Q.] Urkel is loaded with everything in the nerd's bag of tics: suspenders, spectacles, squeaks, snorts, and scrawniness.

—Shelley Levitt

nerdiness

ˈnər-dē-nəs 

noun

With his brother Hank he heads a YouTube channel with 2 million subscribers and an organization … that advances social causes and generally celebrates nerdiness.

—Lev Grossman

nerdish

ˈnər-dish 

adjective

… a nerdish type in one corner was madly tapping the keys of a laptop computer.

—Ian Stewart

nerdy

ˈnər-dē 

adjective

He and his two pals aren't even nerdy enough to join the debate team or the science club, but they dote on superhero comic books.

—Richard Alleva

Did you know?

Of Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks

This trio of words historically refers to the uncool among us. Dork, when used to refer to a socially awkward or inept person, is a relatively recent word: our records indicate that it first appeared in writing in the 1960s. Two of its synonyms in this sense are likewise of fairly recent vintage. Nerd (typically used of a studious species of dork) dates from the 1950s; it may have been coined by Dr. Seuss in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo, although not in the sense that we use today. Nerd is now often used in a neutral fashion to denote enthusiasm or expertise (theater nerd) or proudly as a self-identifying trait (word nerd). Geek became synonymous with nerd in the 1950s and has similarly seen increasing use with positive connotations, highlighting membership in a specialized group (film geek, beer geek) rather than social awkwardness. In its earliest meanings, geek referred to, among other things, a carnival performer who would bite the head off a live chicken, or other small animal, as part of an act.

Synonyms

• bookworm
• dink [slang]
• dork [slang]
• geek
• grind
• swot [British]
• weenie
• wonk

Examples of nerd in a Sentence

He dresses like a nerd.

was such a nerd in college that she spent Saturday nights at the library

Recent Examples on the Web

Knife nerds will appreciate this collaboration with knife maker K Sabatier enough to pick up the full set of three carbon steel blades (also handily available online). —Matthew Medendorp, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2024

Sundance is a mecca for film nerds—and experienced skiers. —Scott Bay, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2024

Finance nerd tip: Your employer’s life insurance plan may not be enough. —Elizabeth Gravier, CNBC, 20 Nov. 2024

As any theater nerd can attest, the success of Wicked relies on the chemistry between its two leads, and Grande and Erivo go together like the film’s pink and green color scheme. —Eric Andersson, People.com, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from nerd, a creature in the children's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950) by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

nerd

noun

ˈnərd 

1

: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially awkward person

2

: a person devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits

nerdy

ˈnər-dē 

adjective