as in literary
suggestive of the vocabulary used in books
"fealty" is a bookish synonym for "loyalty"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 bookish
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a supernova of emo cartoon invention that plays its comic-bookish multiversal premise for both delirious running gags and unabashedly gushy sentimentality.
—
A.a. Dowd, Chron, 4 Feb. 2023
An entire bar shut down, if momentarily, because of our bookish tread.
—Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2023
Sandwiched between two popes more skilled in reaching out to non-Catholics, Benedict was seen as a bookish purist.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2022
Sandwiched between two popes more skilled in outreach to non-Catholics, Benedict was seen as a bookish purist.
—Chico Harlan, Stefano Pitrelli, Marisa Iati, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bookish
A.a. Dowd, Chron, 4 Feb. 2023
An entire bar shut down, if momentarily, because of our bookish tread.
—Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2023
Sandwiched between two popes more skilled in reaching out to non-Catholics, Benedict was seen as a bookish purist.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2022
Sandwiched between two popes more skilled in outreach to non-Catholics, Benedict was seen as a bookish purist.
—Chico Harlan, Stefano Pitrelli, Marisa Iati, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bookish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookish
literary
Adjective
-
Her latest novel is another left turn, a work of literary horror set in Antarctica, in which a Black location scout for a production company making a film about the Shakleton expedition and then winds up stranded with a bunch of white people…and also something else.—
Drew Broussard
July 8,
Literary Hub,
8 July 2025
-
On Tuesday, July 8, PEOPLE can exclusively debut the trailer for the new documentary Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation, which examines the life and work of 20th-century literary icon Kerouac and the impact of his his 1957 novel On The Road.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookish. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share