nickname
Americannoun
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nicknames
plural
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a name added to or substituted for the proper name of a person, place, etc., as in affection, ridicule, or familiarity.
He has always loathed his nickname of “Whizzer.”
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a familiar form of a proper name, as Jim for James and Peg for Margaret.
verb (used with object)
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nicknames,
present (3rd person singular)
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nicknamed,
past participle, past
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nicknaming
present participle
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to give a nickname to (a person, town, etc.); call by a nickname.
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Archaic. to call by an incorrect or improper name; misname.
noun
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a familiar, pet, or derisory name given to a person, animal, or place
his nickname was Lefty because he was left-handed
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a shortened or familiar form of a person's name
Joe is a nickname for Joseph
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nicknamesimple
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nicknamessimple
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have nicknamedperfect
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has nicknamedperfect
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am nicknamingprogressive
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are nicknamingprogressive
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is nicknamingprogressive
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have been nicknamingperfect progressive
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has been nicknamingperfect progressive
Past
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nicknamedsimple
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had nicknamedperfect
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was nicknamingprogressive
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were nicknamingprogressive
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had been nicknamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nickname
1400–50; late Middle English nekename, for ekename (the phrase an ekename being taken as a nekename ). See eke 2, name; cf. newt
Explanation
Your special, fond name for your cousin is a nickname. If his name is Steven, his nickname might be Steve — or it might very well be "Stinky" or "Junior." Nicknames can be shortened forms of first names or surnames; affectionate pet names; or names that tease or ridicule their recipient. If your name is David, but your friends call you "Dave," that's your nickname. If your sweetheart calls you "Honey," that's also a nickname. And if your coworkers call you "Skinny," there's your third nickname. Before the fifteenth century, the word was ekename, "an additional name," from the Old English eaca, "an increase."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We understand Bibi's political needs" the Israeli journalist, Barak Ravid, quotes a senior US official as saying – using a nickname to refer to the Israeli leader.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The rapid rise earned him a reputation as a stock-picking wunderkind and the nickname “the Nostradamus of AI.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Their nickname comes from the small stiff sail which they use to catch the wind and propel them along an ocean's surface.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
But recently, the now-abandoned construction site has become home to a new pack of Southern California natives — the four-legged variety — earning it the nickname “coyote condo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
She was christened Mary Katherine, a name which has fallen more and more into disuse, as—for reasons best known to themselves—the Corcorans have chosen to give her the nickname “Bunny.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Historically, full Moons were given nicknames to help keep track of time and monitor the changing seasons.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
They have earned it the nicknames "Copper capital" and "World cobalt capital".
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
“These are the nicknames that Michael would give these young boys,” Amen said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
But online, peptide sellers are offering “research-only” versions; in online forums, it is being referred to by nicknames like “reta” and “ratatouille.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Crewmen gave it a host of nicknames, among them “the Flying Brick,” “the Flying Boxcar,” and “the Constipated Lumberer,” a play on Consolidated Liberator.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
It is a curious diagnosis from an administration whose senior officials have lately been swapping notes on a regimen nicknamed the “sauerkraut diet.”
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
And the valedictorian of an Ivy League university nicknamed “Nostradamus of AI” must be very smart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Born in the northern state of Haryana, she grew up in Bhiwani, a city synonymous with Indian boxing and widely nicknamed the country's 'Mini Cuba'.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Another soldier in Izium, nicknamed "Ananas", also told AFP he was pleased to see the back of Syrsky, who was known for military success but also developed a reputation for not caring about losses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
It was the guard we had nicknamed “The Snake” because of the shiny dress she wore.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Sokol earned a reputation for being hard-driving and sometimes difficult, with some nicknaming him “The Great Young God,” a nod to both his intelligence and his ego.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
The caption: “POV: Me on my way to HR yet again for nicknaming my co-worker ‘Tariff’ for costing the company more than they’re worth.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2025
Tom's combination with fellow flanker Sam Underhill was a revelation during the tournament and resulted in Jones nicknaming the pair the "kamikaze kids".
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025
She took Sierra with her everywhere, nicknaming her “Fat Cat” for her voracious appetite.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 21, 2022
"Chachas—" she always called us that, from muchachas, girls, which is how come we had ended up nicknaming her a play echo of her name for us, Chucha.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
