BOOKISH Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

bookish

adjective

ˈbu̇-kish

Definition of bookish

as in literary

suggestive of the vocabulary used in books "fealty" is a bookish synonym for "loyalty"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 bookish The novel follows Harriet Bancroft, a bookish wallflower compiling a dictionary of slang. — Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026 There are football dads and Lego dads, bookish dads and surfer dads, trans dads and gay dads, young dads and old dads. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 19 June 2026 The series, which aired from 2000 to 2007, centered around fast-talking mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her bookish teen daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) in their small, fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Patel grew up in a small village in the middle of England, performed with The Young Actors Company in Cambridge and turned professional at 17 — spending the next nine years playing the quiet, bookish Tamwar Masood on the British soap EastEnders. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bookish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookish

literary

Adjective

For Finite, Nuclear Children joins a slate comprising original series and adaptations of plays, operas and literary texts.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
In a pedagogical culture that tends to shy away from unpleasantness, Goodwin’s approach felt like an honest — and valuable — way of dealing with one of the ugliest aspects of American literary history.

— Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of literary

Browse Nearby Words

booking

bookish

bookishness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookish. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bookish

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes