English Reference

Word

nicknamed

Phoneticsnick·named

US/ˈnɪkˌneɪmd/

UK/nˈɪkneɪmd/

Definitions

01having an informal name

B2

adj. having a special name that friends or family use instead of your real name.

adj. possessing or known by a familiar, often descriptive, name given in place of the proper name.

“The tall building, nicknamed 'The Pencil' by locals, is easy to find.”

“The nicknamed athlete found that his informal moniker eventually became more recognisable to the public than his actual legal name.”

02to give a name to

B2

v. to give someone or something an informal name.

v. to give a familiar or humorous name to a person or thing. Transitive verb usually taking a direct object and a complement.

“His friends nicknamed him 'Speedy' because he was the fastest runner.”

“The press nicknamed the new legislation 'The Green Shield' long before the government had even finalised the official title of the bill.”

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“The event, nicknamed “the Whippet,” briefly released about 400 billion times the Sun’s energy and sent a shock wave racing outward at one-fifth the speed of light.”
ScienceDaily · 16 Aug 2026
“More specifically, the satellite, nicknamed CosmoCube, will be looking for what is known as the 21cm line.”
The Guardian · 14 Aug 2026
“Next year, another total solar eclipse —nicknamed the “ eclipse of the century ” because of its long duration—will sweep over parts of Africa, Europe and the Middle East.”
Smithsonian Magazine · 10 Aug 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

English Reference