Synonyms of nerd

nerd

noun

ˈnərd 

1

as in geek

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

• geek
• bookworm
• dork
• wonk
• weenie
• scholar
• genius
• dink
• swot
• intellectual
• grind
• brain
• highbrow
• techie
• bookman
• academic
• gearhead
• double-dome

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• slacker
• underachiever
• lowbrow
• goof-off
• goldbrick

2

as in intellectual

a person with strong intellectual interests

an unlikely romance between a nerd and a campus beauty queen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intellectual
• geek
• highbrow
• intellectualist
• wizard
• blue
• longhair
• double-dome
• intellectualizer
• sage
• Brahmin
• intellect
• bluestocking
• mandarin
• thinker
• genius
• brain
• whiz
• pseud

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• philistine
• lowbrow
• moron
• dope
• dunce
• imbecile
• dolt
• dummy
• blockhead
• simpleton
• anti-intellectual
• pinhead
• dumbbell
• nitwit
• fathead
• half-wit

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nerd

Each expression is distilled from a single harvest of one varietal in the agricole style, with information about every detail a spirits nerd could want, down to the characteristics of the soil. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025

The intrigue: The region is home to bookstores that cater to nerds, romantics, cat lovers and all sorts of hobbyists who enjoy reading. —Steph Solis, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025

This tournament could be heaven for hockey nerds who have been starved for best-on-best at this level. —Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025

From jocks to nerds, cheerleaders to shy kids, Dazed captures the universality of being a young person on the cusp of truly entering the world, whether you're actualized or not. —Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025