nerd

[ nurd ]

noun

1. a single-minded person obsessed with a hobby or pursuit or with a particular topic:

   My 13-year-old son is a computer nerd.

   I joined a book club and discovered another Jane Austen nerd.

2. a person considered to be socially awkward, boring, unstylish, etc.

verb (used without object)

1. to spend inordinate amounts of time, attention, energy, enthusiasm, etc., on an activity or topic of special interest to oneself; geek:

   I enjoy samurai movies, nerding about samurai movies, and the occasional slice of cake.

   Don't cross the street while you're nerding on your phone—you're likely to get hit!

verb phrase

1. to engage with excessive enthusiasm in a hobby or in discussion about a topic of special interest to oneself:

   Back in the day, I nerded out hardcore over baseball cards.

   We sat there for half an hour while she nerded out on the metaphysical poets.

2. to alter or be altered in a way that shows excessive enthusiasm for a special interest:

   He appears in that film nerded up as a philosophy genius.

   I'm going to nerd up my office with these five Charlie Chaplin posters.

   Wow, this simple conversation about cheese sure nerded up fast!

nerd

/ nɜːd /

noun

1. a boring or unpopular person, esp one obsessed with something specified

   a computer nerd

2. a stupid and feeble person

Derived Forms

• ˈnerdy, adjective
• ˈnerdish, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nerd¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1950–55; obscurely derived expressive formation

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. nerd it up, to indulge oneself without restraint in a hobby, game, etc., in which one has an obsessive interest:

   Looking forward to nerding it up with everybody on Comic Trading Day at the store!

Example Sentences

Moreover, the script transitions him, through Finan’s effective performance, from a gawky, bespectacled nerd putting on airs, into an unctuous political predator.

From Salon

To me, the story about this black nerd from the projects of Virginia who sees the world differently... and it makes him an outcast for a long time.

From BBC

"I was very much a nerd," she explained.

From BBC

But I am at heart a policy nerd.

From Los Angeles Times

Beyond creating a niche for himself as an influencer, he’s living every tennis nerd’s dream, traveling the world and sharing courts with some of the best players in the game.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• geek