BOOKISH Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

bookish

adjective

ˈbu̇-kish

Definition of bookish

as in literary

suggestive of the vocabulary used in books "fealty" is a bookish synonym for "loyalty"

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bookish Read our full bookish tribute to Parton here, or learn how to sign up for the Imagination Library here. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Over the years, The Book Rack has offered thousands of books across a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres, along with candles, notebooks, bookish gifts and more than 100 puzzles. — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026 Bella Padilla Everitt is a bookish 13-year-old who likes to write poetry. — John Wisely, Freep.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Sophie Pearce is a Welsh travel blogger who has visited Egypt, India and New Zealand on a quest to see magical, historic and bookish destinations. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bookish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookish

literary

Adjective

This poem resembles a haibun—a Japanese literary form that combines prose with haiku.

— Gurupreet K. Khalsa, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Raffaella De Angelis, head of literary acquisitions, global drama at Fremantle spearheaded the literary acquisition for Fabel Entertainment.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of literary

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booking

bookish

bookishness

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“Bookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookish. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bookish

adjective

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