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

Current data show that excessive screen time and overreliance on tools like AI hinder children's intellectual and emotional development.

— Michael Chavira, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Either way, the momentum continues the following day when Mercury meets with Uranus retrograde in Gemini, offering a surge of intellectual clarity on the heels of that Neptunian fog.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of intellectual

Adjective

If fluid starts pooling in your lungs (known as high-altitude pulmonary edema) or in your brain (high-altitude cerebral edema), get medical attention as soon as possible.

— Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
Japan has selected Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s luminously cerebral French-language feature All of a Sudden as its submission for the best international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of cerebral

Adjective

All this should be very exciting for fans who have long known one of their favorite games is still unbelievably nerdy and cheesy, but still wanted to see it in the mainstream.

— Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
These polyester fits have also been parodied in video skits, where comedians put on an all-over polyester print outfit, like a wolf T-shirt and galaxy pants, and parody the stereotypical nerdy kid.

— Rachel Hale, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of nerdy

Adjective

Just as the geeky navel-gazing threatens to become tedious, a joke or a wink keeps the audience laughing and focused on the fantastical story Schoenbrun actually wants to tell—which isn’t a genuine slasher at all.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
A bit geeky and has achieved great things in his career, but could probably walk down the street and not be recognised.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of geeky

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nerd

nerdish

nerds

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“Nerdish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerdish. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nerdish

adjective

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