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Synonyms

nerdy

American  
[nur-dee] / ˈnɜr di /

adjective

nerdier, nerdiest

  1. Slang. of or like a nerd.

Etymology

Origin of nerdy

First recorded in 1975–80; nerd + -y 1

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.

I wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, but I have a cute, nerdy guy friend who says it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

"I grew up in a family of eight boys and one girl, and we were all nerdy kids," 38-year-old Dan Reynolds remembered.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

It’s both extremely nerdy and very watchable, even if all you know about proteins is that you should be eating more of them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

If you want to get nerdy, download the new iFixit app.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

And her horn-rimmed glasses managed to look hip, bookish, and nerdy all at once.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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.