German

Noun

Nerd m

1. nerd (a person, often very studious, with poor social skills)

English

Alternative forms

• knurd (folk etymology, very rare)
• nurd (very rare)

Noun

nerd ‎(plural nerds)

1. (slang, sometimes derogatory) A person who is intellectual but generally introverted
   • 1953 Advertisement for "Businessman's Lunch", a play by Micheal Quinn, in Patricia Brown, Gloria Mundi

     They particularly enjoy making fun of one of their fellows who is not present, whom they consider a hopeless nerd – until, that is, they learn he is engaged to marry the boss's daughter.

   • 2002, Sam Williams, Free as in Freedom:

     "We were all geeks and nerds, but he was unusually poorly adjusted," recalls Chess, now a mathematics professor at Hunter College.

   • 2009 February 28, “Orszag to present budget blueprint”, in WBBH:

     "Yes, I am super nerd, and the whole room cracked up," Said Orszag.

2. (informal, sometimes derogatory) One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something.

   a computer nerd

   a comic-book nerd

3. (slang, always derogatory) An unattractive, socially awkward, annoying, undesirable, and/or boring, person; a dork.

   Only a nerd would wear yellow and blue stripes with green pants.

   Nerds seem to have fun with each other, but in a way that causes others to laugh at them.

   Why are you hanging out with that nerd?

4. (post 1980s) A member of a subculture revolving around a mixture of video games, fantasy fiction, science fiction, comic books and assorted media.

Synonyms

• (socially unaccepted person, all are slang and derogatory): dag (Australian), doofus, dork, dweeb, geek, goober, loser, propeller head, twerp,
• See also Wikisaurus:dork

Derived terms

Translations

References

• Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• rend

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nøːrt/

Etymology

From English nerd.

Noun

nerd m ‎(plural nerds, diminutive nerdje n)

1. nerd

Norwegian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nærd/, /nøːɖ/
• Rhymes: -ærd, -øːɖ

Etymology

Borrowing from English nerd

Noun

nerd m

1. nerd

Inflection

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowing from English nerd

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɛʁd͡ʒ/, /ˈnɛʁ.d͡ʒi/

Noun

nerd m f (plural nerds)

1. nerd (intellectual, introverted and quirky person)

Usage notes

Until recently, this word was a somewhat pejorative. Nowadays it is used both negatively and positively.

Synonyms

• CDF, totó