as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
kept getting typecast as the hero's dorky sidekick
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Recent Examples of dorky
Still, the actors are game, and that’s half the battle — even though the film’s positing Miles Teller as the dorky beta to Callum Turner’s hunky alpha is somewhat undone by the fact that the two actors don’t look all that different from each other.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
Despite the efforts of avid players, The Dude, and assorted poets, bowling in America still ends up with a broadly dorky reputation.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025
Geek Squad Not too long ago, the analytics department was the domain of the dorky nerds of the NFL.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Phoenix is cast against type as the dorky kid.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dorky
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
Despite the efforts of avid players, The Dude, and assorted poets, bowling in America still ends up with a broadly dorky reputation.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025
Geek Squad Not too long ago, the analytics department was the domain of the dorky nerds of the NFL.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Phoenix is cast against type as the dorky kid.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dorky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dorky
Adjective
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And Lorenzen delivering this stink bomb made the 48,366 in attendance feel as dumb as rocks for braving the cold.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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Well, dumber isn’t quite right — and is only meant affectionately by Grabinski himself.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, businesses hired workers at their slowest pace since 2011, excluding the onset of the pandemic in 2020.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
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The area’s large tourist population contributes a constant volume of unfamiliar drivers to already heavily congested roads, with traffic patterns that shift significantly between peak tourist season and the summer months but never truly slow to manageable levels on the area’s major corridors.—
Anton Lucanus
April 3,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Louise touched her phone screen to look at the picture of Diana again—gorgeous Diana smiling into the wind, all that thick hair billowing.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dorky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dorky. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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