NERDS Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

nerds

noun

plural of nerd

as in geeks

a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits was such a nerd in college that she spent Saturday nights at the library

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as in intellectuals

a person with strong intellectual interests an unlikely romance between a nerd and a campus beauty queen

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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 nerds The invite said something like technical alignment, and nobody senior goes to those, because that is the part where the nerds work out the pipes. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 There’s a lot going on — clearly too much to pronounce any of Tolkien’s placenames correctly, so just let go of that now, nerds, lest ye despair. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 That might make this desirable to gadget nerds who aren't even necessarily in the market for a less engaging phone. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026 That’s what has kept it from thriving in South Florida for decades, despite early efforts by pioneering plant nerds. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 Daytrippers, suburban hipsters, and tech nerds looking for a break from the city. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 July 2026 The nerds decide to fight back, forming a fraternity of their own, determined to take down the jocks of Alpha Beta. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026 It should be noted that this screening was not a novelty — a one-off, all-night experience for Nolan nerds and Classics majors. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 18 July 2026 What Comic-Con is to nerds, Fanatics Fest is to sports nerds. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerds

Noun

Funko occupies a massive physical footprint in a far corner of the convention center at SDCC, the annual pop culture festival that attracts over 130,000 fans and geeks from around the world.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
For aviation geeks or those who simply want to keep track of their plane’s unique flying data and route, squawk codes can be tracked on apps and websites like Flightradar24 and Flight Beacon.

— Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026

Definition of geeks

Noun

Born in the Soviet Union in 1974, Beloozerov was raised by his mother Lena and stepfather Nikolai Beloozerov, a Soviet dissident and a mathematician, among a community of intellectuals in southwestern Moscow.

— Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
This portrait of wannabe bohemians and intellectuals who adopt the fashions, mannerisms, and artistic practices of an earlier time has its own essential timelessness.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of intellectuals

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nerdish

nerds

nerdy

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“Nerds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerds. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of nerds

noun

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