dork

noun

ˈdȯrk How to pronounce dork (audio)
Definition of dorknext
slang
1
as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits we became friends when we discovered we were both dorks who had memorized the periodic table in high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person he tried to be suave, but she still thought he was a dork

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dork Swiping through profiles on your handset is so much sexier than finding dates on your computer like a dork. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 17 June 2026 For the most tragic car dorks, stop worrying about saving up for a down payment on something new and start learning how to fix the cars that came out before smartphones. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 3 June 2026 For best results, come here with small parties early in the night—or very late on a Monday with a crew of drink dorks. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 May 2026 So this has now produced 20 hours of dork anecdotes. — Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dork
  1. nerd
  2. moron
  3. geek
  4. stupid
Noun
  • If that is not possible, be a nerd and tuck your long pants into your socks.
    — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Shane is an experienced deer-tracking dog handler, and Ryan is a data nerd by training and a diehard bowhunter.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of nerd
Noun
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • Fortunately, Green’s film exists — and was not thrown into a little black hole by a bunch of accountants, never to be seen again — and can surely help cure any of the pain its backstory still inflicts on movie fans and Tunes geeks.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The 1% who are the Uber early geek adopters can go in the user settings and switch it back to sats and view it in sats.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of geek
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

dories
dork
dorkiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dork. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All