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 Few things are more entertaining to Boise music nerds than seeing which performers made Idahoans stampede the ICCU Grandstand at Expo Idaho. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 31 Aug. 2026 That gives Porsche’s 911 nerds more time to come up with a creative solution to their current hybrid predicament. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 26 Aug. 2026 The cool part about the idea of video is introducing more people to hip-hop writing outside of us nerds. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 25 Aug. 2026 But it is designed to be played by everyone (ages 10 and up) — not just econ nerds. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerds

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
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

Definition of geeks

Noun

This is part of a series of essays drawn from the Georgetown Global Dialogues, an ongoing program convening writers and intellectuals, many from the Global South, to discuss ways of confronting our current political crises.

— Pankaj Mishra, The New York Review of Books, 27 Aug. 2026
Capp’s flagship class on the Vietnam War’s impact on American religion and culture became a national sensation, drawing praise from members of Congress, television news anchors, and public intellectuals.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nerds

noun

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