dork

noun

ˈdȯrk How to pronounce dork (audio)
Definition of dorknext
slang
1
as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits we became friends when we discovered we were both dorks who had memorized the periodic table in high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person he tried to be suave, but she still thought he was a dork

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 dork At first, the slogan was seen as a rallying cry for dorks with expendable income. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026 The young ensign who, after seven seasons, remained an Ensign, Harry Kim was kind of the dork of the show, which is saying something for Star Trek. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026 The movie concludes the issue wasn't technology, but that Bonnie simply needed to find like-minded people who are, no offense, huge dorks like her. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 20 June 2026 Swiping through profiles on your handset is so much sexier than finding dates on your computer like a dork. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dork
  1. nerd
  2. moron
  3. geek
  4. stupid
Noun
  • The iPhone has been the same for so long that being forced to come up with little moves and tricks and ways to think about holding the Duo is a gadget nerd thrill.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Harbach is a gifted observer of undergraduates, their pathos and their comedy, but his Westish is a gentle and perhaps too-good-natured institution, where even the jocks are nerds.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of nerd
Noun
  • The fact that there is someone out there who could actually get all the real unsuspecting morons who participated in this movie to sign off on it afterwards is simply astonishing considering what they are asked to do in it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The unlikely source is Enervate’s company stooge corporate strategist, Ken Davies (Tim Key), a moron by any measure.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • For movie geeks everywhere, this has been the question since Kubrick’s death in 1999.
    — Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Lucca Comics chief speaks to Variety about pulling out all the stops to celebrate the crossover between different forms of geek culture, in particular between movies and video games.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of geek
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

dories
dork
dorkiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All