nickname
Americannoun
-
nicknames
plural
-
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.”
-
a familiar form of a proper name, as Jim for James and Peg for Margaret.
verb (used with object)
-
nicknames,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nicknamed,
past participle, past
-
nicknaming
present participle
-
to give a nickname to (a person, town, etc.); call by a nickname.
-
Archaic. to call by an incorrect or improper name; misname.
noun
-
a familiar, pet, or derisory name given to a person, animal, or place
his nickname was Lefty because he was left-handed
-
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
-
nicknamesimple
-
nicknamessimple
-
have nicknamedperfect
-
has nicknamedperfect
-
am nicknamingprogressive
-
are nicknamingprogressive
-
is nicknamingprogressive
-
have been nicknamingperfect progressive
-
has been nicknamingperfect progressive
Past
-
nicknamedsimple
-
had nicknamedperfect
-
was nicknamingprogressive
-
were nicknamingprogressive
-
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:
Incline Village has earned the nickname “Income Village” due to its reputation as a haven for Silicon Valley’s ultrawealthy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Despite their mudcat nickname, enormous catfish keep a surprisingly clean den.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The nickname refers to the group of PayPal founders and former employees who went on to start other tech companies, including SpaceX, Palantir Technologies, LinkedIn, YouTube and Yelp.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
But, if approved, retatrutide will become the first weight loss medication in the world to act on three, giving it the nickname the "triple G".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
It’s easy to see how she got the nickname.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
CEO nicknames often are born of job cuts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
They have earned it the nicknames "Copper capital" and "World cobalt capital".
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
The president of the world's biggest economy has had quite a few nicknames for America's top central banker.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
What were some nicknames you had growing up?
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
“I don’t know how you got to be called Big Time. Penny and Big Time aren’t even close. I don’t like nicknames anyway.”
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
That’s roughly 300 acres, encompassing the parking lots, the hillsides meeting the 110 Freeway, and 149 concrete planters nicknamed “martinis” for their glass-like shape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The new circuit, known as the 'Madring', is a demanding 5.4-kilometre track with 22 corners, including its headline feature, a 24-percent-banked turn nicknamed "La Monumental".
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
Robin's father, nicknamed 'Iceman', was the most recent Ferrari driver to become world champion, claiming his sole title in 2007.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Known as a budget hawk—Mr. Bush had nicknamed him the Blade—Mr. Daniels searched for ways to reduce state spending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
More chatter about nicknamed moves that I’ve never heard of.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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 name Beaver Moon follows a longstanding tradition of nicknaming supermoons.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025
Aside from nicknaming Haley “birdbrain,” Trump and his allies largely ignored her until recent weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2024
She began performing at 7, with the Oakland Tribune nicknaming her the “Mysterious Mite” and describing her stage presence as that of an “old trouper.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2023
At some point after the nicknaming, our Radar grew about six inches and started wearing contacts, so I suppose that 3.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
