wonk
[ wongk ]
/ wɒŋk /
noun Slang.
a student who spends much time studying and has little or no social life; grind.
a stupid, boring, or unattractive person.
a person who studies a subject or issue in an excessively assiduous and thorough manner: a policy wonk.
Origin of wonk
1960–65,
Americanism; of expressive orig.; nautical slang
wonk “a midshipman,” Australian slang: “white person, homosexual” are probably independent formations
OTHER WORDS FROM wonk
wonk·ish, adjectiveWords nearby wonk
wonders will never cease,
wonderwork,
wondrous,
wonga,
wonga-wonga,
wonk,
wonky,
wonna,
wont,
wonted,
woo
Example sentences from the Web for wonkish
If he does, he might come across as too wonkish and too aggressive to connect with voters.
Quiet and wonkish, Santos, a U.S.-trained economist, nonetheless won by a landslide in 2010.
The Killing of Guerrilla Leader Boosts Violence-Weary Colombia |Mac Margolis |November 13, 2011 |DAILY BEASTInsiders have long touted Christie Vilsack as a more spirited and combative politician than her wonkish husband.
The most vocal skeptics so far of the new Afghanistan policy are mostly left-of-center and largely confined to wonkish circles.
British Dictionary definitions for wonkish
wonk
/ (wɒŋk) /
noun
informal
a person who is obsessively interested in a specified subject
a foreign policy wonk
Word Origin for wonk
C20: of uncertain origin