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:
Despite their mudcat nickname, enormous catfish keep a surprisingly clean den.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Crockett also drew criticism in March 2025 when she called Gov. Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels,” though she said the nickname was not about his wheelchair use.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Prosecutors say Brass was also known by the nickname “Lord” and controlled a company named Pinnacle Brass LLC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
This $5.95 million house in Miami takes the timelessness of Midcentury Modern and peppers it with an undeniable futuristic flair, earning it the nickname “The Jetsons House.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Ever since Elizabeth told me Mr. Montgomery’s nickname, I can’t help but picture him as a truck with a narrow, expressionless grill plastered on its front.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Let’s hear it for author David Winder for putting together a list of the top 50 most interesting high school nicknames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Click here to find out why full Moons are given nicknames.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
They have earned it the nicknames "Copper capital" and "World cobalt capital".
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 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
Using nicknames to hide their true identities, the groups met in cafés and pubs.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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
After Miguel Rojas nicknamed him “Scooby Doo Pa Pa,” Skubal used the song that inspired the name on an Instagram post.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The creature, nicknamed “Fork,” for its fur mark, was flown home in a state plane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The bird lady was aptly nicknamed; she resembled a crane, with her long, skinny legs and pointy beak nose.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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
Paloma made light of it, nicknaming the tumour "Maria the Lung Mass", he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2025
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
He settled on Mr. Moïse, marketing him as a successful entrepreneur and nicknaming him the “Banana Man” on the campaign trail.
From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2021
"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.
