bookish
adjective
book·ish ˈbu̇-kish 
1
a
: of or relating to books
b
: fond of books and reading
2
a
: inclined to rely on book knowledge
b
of words : literary and formal as opposed to colloquial and informal
c
: given to literary or scholarly pursuits
also : affectedly learned
bookishly adverb
bookishness noun
Synonyms
- erudite
- learned
- literary
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Their teacher was a bookish fellow. “fealty” is a bookish synonym for “loyalty”
Recent Examples on the Web Trelawny, the younger son, is bookish and ironic, and the most frequent narrator. 
Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 The bookish event, presented by the Near South Planning Board, is one of the three biggest and oldest literary festivals in the country with more than 100 booksellers. Kayla Samoy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 Full of madcaps, mishaps and lots of bookish asides, this is an adorable romp. Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 28 July 2022 So, surprise the teacher, librarian, English major, or writer in your life with one of these bookish gifts for book lovers that will definitely prompt them to put their current read down and check out their new gadget, mug, or apparel. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 26 July 2022 From his first try as a wicket keeper, one of the most demanding fielding positions — not unlike a baseball catcher — Nithilan’s bookish and sedentary life was upended. Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Shares can be inherited; often a family will hand off its equity to a bookish member of the next generation, as happened in Widmer’s case. Robert Polidori, Town & Country, 9 June 2022 The upside: The whole gang, including the bookish Max (Torian Miller), and the tag-team hedonists Luke (Matt Rogers) and Keegan (Tomas Matos), gets access to a whole other swanky world on the island. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2022 Worthington, Ohio Worthington, Ohio, was ranked the no. 1 most bookish city in the U.S., according to this survey. Fox News, 14 May 2022 See More
Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 The bookish event, presented by the Near South Planning Board, is one of the three biggest and oldest literary festivals in the country with more than 100 booksellers. Kayla Samoy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 Full of madcaps, mishaps and lots of bookish asides, this is an adorable romp. Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 28 July 2022 So, surprise the teacher, librarian, English major, or writer in your life with one of these bookish gifts for book lovers that will definitely prompt them to put their current read down and check out their new gadget, mug, or apparel. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 26 July 2022 From his first try as a wicket keeper, one of the most demanding fielding positions — not unlike a baseball catcher — Nithilan’s bookish and sedentary life was upended. Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Shares can be inherited; often a family will hand off its equity to a bookish member of the next generation, as happened in Widmer’s case. Robert Polidori, Town & Country, 9 June 2022 The upside: The whole gang, including the bookish Max (Torian Miller), and the tag-team hedonists Luke (Matt Rogers) and Keegan (Tomas Matos), gets access to a whole other swanky world on the island. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2022 Worthington, Ohio Worthington, Ohio, was ranked the no. 1 most bookish city in the U.S., according to this survey. Fox News, 14 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
bookishness
noun
as in pedantry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pedantry
- erudition
- reading
- literacy
- enlightenment
- culture
- scholarship
- learning
- learnedness
- education
- edification
- knowledge
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- illiteracy
- ignorance
- illiterateness
- functional illiteracy