Word
nerd
US/ˈnɝd/
UK/nˈɜːd/
Definitions
01intellectual/technical person
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. someone who is very intelligent but might be quiet or socially awkward.
n. an intellectual person who may lack social skills or be perceived as introverted.
“He was a bit of a nerd in high school, always spending his lunch breaks in the library.”
“The stereotype of the socially isolated nerd has been largely replaced by the image of the successful tech entrepreneur.”
Synonyms
02an obsessive fan
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. someone who is extremely interested in a specific subject, like science, history, or films.
n. an enthusiast who possesses an obsessive or highly detailed knowledge of a specific niche or hobby.
“My brother is a total history nerd and can tell you everything about the Roman Empire.”
“She describes herself as a musical theatre nerd, having memorized the librettos of every major production from the last decade.”
Synonyms
03to show intense interest
C1 · Advanced Informal · Slang
v. to talk or act with great excitement about a technical or niche subject.
v. to engage in or discuss a technical or niche subject with obsessive enthusiasm; usually used with 'out'.
“We spent the whole night nerding out over the new space telescope images.”
“The engineers spent their lunch break nerding out over the nuances of the new programming language's syntax.”
Usage
usually functions as a phrasal verb with 'out'
Teaching tip
This verb use is very modern and informal; it suggests a joyful loss of self-control when discussing a hobby.
Synonyms
Etymology
Unknown. Attested since 1951 as US student slang. * Perhaps an alteration of nerts (“nuts", "crazy”); see references below. * The word, capitalized, appeared in 1950 in Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran the Zoo as the name of an imaginary animal: *: And then, just to show them, I’ll sail to Katroo / And bring back an It-Kutch, a Preep and a Proo, / A Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker too! * Possibly a rebracketing of inert as a nert, as in he's inert = he's a nerd, in reference to one's lack of competence or athletic ability. * Various unlikely folk etymologies and less likely backronymic speculations also exist.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/nerd