- fond of reading; studious
- consisting of or forming opinions or attitudes through reading rather than direct personal experience; academic
- of or relating to books
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
book•ish /ˈbʊkɪʃ/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- greatly enjoying reading or studying:our bookish young daughter.
- more acquainted with books than with real life:the bookish life of a university professor.
- very stiff and overly formal:a bookish way of speaking.
book•ish
(bŏŏk′ish),USA pronunciation adj.
book′ish•ly, adv.
book′ish•ness, n.
- given or devoted to reading or study.
- more acquainted with books than with real life.
- of or pertaining to books;
literary. - stilted;
pedantic.
- book + -ish1 1560–70
book′ish•ness, n.
- 4. . academic, scholastic.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bookish /ˈbʊkɪʃ/ adj
'bookish' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):