nerd

Everyday

1. (informal, slang) A person who is very interested and clever in one subject, such as computers, science or maths, and knows a lot about it. tree →
2. (slang, can be unkind) A person thought of as boring or not cool because they study a lot or like unusual hobbies. tree →
3. (informal, friendly) Used proudly about yourself: «I'm a book nerd». tree →

In the lessons

In school life, «nerd» can be a teasing name, but today many people say it proudly: «science nerd», «maths nerd», «Lego nerd». In stories, the nerd character is often clever and saves the day. Phrases: «computer nerd», «total nerd», «nerd out about», «nerdy glasses».

Examples

• Sam is a total science nerd and knows every planet's moons. tree →
• I'm a bit of a book nerd — I read every night. tree →
• Don't call him a nerd; it's unkind. tree →
• She nerded out about dinosaurs for an hour. tree →
• The computer nerds in the film saved the spaceship. tree →
• That joke about prime numbers is so nerdy. tree →
• Being a nerd just means you really care about something. tree →

Note

Countable: a nerd, nerds. Adjective «nerdy». Register: informal/slang; it can hurt when used to mock someone, so tone matters. Similar words: geek (very similar), boffin (UK, a clever scientist), swot (UK, someone who studies a lot).