Dictionary.com
definitions

bookish

[ book-ish ]
/ ˈbʊk ɪʃ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bookish ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

given or devoted to reading or study.
more acquainted with books than with real life.
of or relating to books; literary.
stilted; pedantic.

RELATED WORDS

studious, brainy, academic, intelligent, learned, literary, pedantic, smart, scholastic

Nearby words

  1. bookie,
  2. booking,
  3. booking agent,
  4. booking clerk,
  5. booking office,
  6. bookishly,
  7. bookkeeper,
  8. bookkeeping,
  9. booklet,
  10. booklet pane

Origin of bookish

First recorded in 1560–70; book + -ish1
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bookish

British Dictionary definitions for bookish

bookish

/ (ˈbʊkɪʃ) /

adjective

fond of reading; studious
consisting of or forming opinions or attitudes through reading rather than direct personal experience; academica bookish view of life
of or relating to booksa bookish career in publishing
Derived Formsbookishly, adverbbookishness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bookish

bookish

adj.

1560s, "literary," from book (n.) + -ish. In sense of "overly studious" it is recorded from 1590s. Related: Bookishly; bookishness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper