dork
Dork (noun) means a socially awkward or uncool person, often with unfashionable interests — usually said affectionately rather than as a real insult. Example: “He did a happy little dance and admitted, "Yeah, I'm a total dork about trains.”
How to use dork
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dork is someone who's a bit uncool or awkward, usually in a harmless, even endearing way.
Casual and generally affectionate — much milder than an insult like idiot.
Word forms
dorked past tense, dorks plural, dorks singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He did a happy little dance and admitted, "Yeah, I'm a total _____ about trains."
Etymology
American slang from around 1961; likely started as a softened, joking stand-in for a cruder word, later settling into its modern meaning of "lovable nerd."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for dork
See all rhymes for dork →Frequently asked questions
What does “dork” mean?
The word “dork” means a socially awkward or uncool person, often with unfashionable interests — usually said affectionately rather than as a real insult. In plain terms, a dork is someone who's a bit uncool or awkward, usually in a harmless, even endearing way.
How do you pronounce “dork”?
“Dork” is pronounced dawk (/doɹk/ in IPA).
How do you use “dork” in a sentence?
Here is “dork” used in a sentence: “He did a happy little dance and admitted, "Yeah, I'm a total dork about trains.".”
What is another word for “dork”?
Words with a similar meaning to “dork” include flabbergast, flabagast, flabaghast, gink, nerd and Nigel.
What is the opposite of “dork”?
The opposite of “dork” — its antonyms — are cool kid, idol, people person, social butterfly and sparkler.
What part of speech is “dork”?
Depending on how it is used, “dork” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “dork” come from?
The word “dork” dates back to around 1961. American slang from around 1961; likely started as a softened, joking stand-in for a cruder word, later settling into its modern meaning of "lovable nerd.".
How many meanings does “dork” have?
“Dork” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a socially awkward or uncool person, often with unfashionable interests — usually said affectionately rather than as a real insult.