noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
gēk
Australian, India, New-Zealand, Received-Pronunciation:/ɡiːk/
AuERecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American, Scotland:/ɡik/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːk
CMU ARPABET:G IY1 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A carnival performer specializing in bizarre and unappetizing behavior.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Examples
I once saw a geek bite the head off a live chicken.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: freak
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person who is intensely interested in a particular field or hobby and often having limited or nonstandard social skills. Often used with an attributive noun.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial
Examples
I was a complete computer geek in high school, but I get out a lot more now.
Most famous actors are really theater geeks at heart.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: anorak, buff, dork, freak, nerd, otaku, propeller head
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An expert in a technical field, particularly one having to do with computers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, colloquial
Examples
My laptop’s locked up again. I need a geek.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: freak, hacker, tech guru
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The subculture of geeks; an esoteric subject of interest that is marginal to the social mainstream; the philosophy, events, and physical artifacts of geeks; geekness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An unfashionable or socially undesirable person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial
Examples
Why do you hang around with them? They’re just geeks.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: performer, performing artist
History
Etymology
Started as carnival slang, likely from the British dialectal term geck (“a fool, dupe, simpleton”) (1510s), apparently from Dutch gek or Low German geck, from an imitative verb found in North Sea Germanic and Scandinavian meaning "to croak, cackle," and also "to mock, cheat" (Dutch gekken, German gecken, Danish gække, Norwegian gakke, Swedish gäcka). The root still survives in the Dutch adjective noun gek (“crazy" or "crazy person”). Compare gink and also Old Norse gikkr (“a pert, rude person; jester; fool”).
Probably related to keek. Compare German gucken (“look”), kieken (“look”) and the dialectal corruption of Dutch keek (“keek”) (from kijk (“look”)), kijken (“to look”). Australian use from Cornish dialect.
Across languages
Translations
79 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
غِيك
(ḡīk)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Arabic:
مُهَوَّس
(muhawwas)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Armenian:
գիք
(gikʻ)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Chinese Mandarin:
極客 /极客
(jíkè)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Chinese Mandarin:
宅男
(zháinán)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Chinese Mandarin:
宅女
(zháinǚ)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Danish:
geek
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Danish:
nørd
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Dutch:
computerfreak
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Dutch:
freak
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Dutch:
techneut
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Estonian:
giik
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Estonian:
friik
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Finnish:
nörtti
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Finnish:
friikki
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
French:
geek
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
German:
Geek
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
German:
Freak
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
German:
Spezialist
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Greek:
κομπιουτεράς
(kompiouterás)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Italian:
geek
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Italian:
hacker
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Italian:
smanettone
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Japanese:
オタク
(otaku)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Japanese:
ギーク
(gīku)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Korean:
오타쿠
(otaku)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Navajo:
ntsékeesii
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Navajo:
naaltsoos náyiijáhí
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Persian:
گیک
(gik)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Polish:
geek
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Portuguese:
geek
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Russian:
гик
(gik)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Russian:
компью́терщик
(kompʹjútɛrščik)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Russian:
компью́терщица
(kompʹjútɛrščica)
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Spanish:
computín
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Swedish:
nörd
— expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers
Danish:
geek
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Danish:
nørd
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Dutch:
freak
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Estonian:
friik
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Finnish:
friikki
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Finnish:
-hullu
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
French:
geek
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
German:
Spezialist
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
German:
Freak
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Greek:
μανιώδης
(maniódis)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Hungarian:
kocka
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Hungarian:
stréber
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Italian:
maniaco
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Japanese:
マニア
(mania)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Japanese:
オタク
(otaku)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Korean:
마니아
(mania)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Korean:
오타쿠
(otaku)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Navajo:
ntsékeesii
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Persian:
خوره
(xore)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Russian:
чуда́к
(čudák)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Russian:
одержи́мый
(oderžímyj)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Russian:
чо́кнутый
(čóknutyj)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Russian:
поме́шанный
(poméšannyj)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Russian:
фана́тик
(fanátik)
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Serbo-Croatian:
geek
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Spanish:
friki
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Spanish:
flipado
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Spanish:
chiflado
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Swedish:
nörd
— person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby
Finnish:
friikkiys
— subculture
Finnish:
-hulluus
— subculture
Danish:
geek
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Danish:
nørd
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Dutch:
seut
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Finnish:
friikki
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Greek:
σπασίκλας
(spasíklas)
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Hebrew:
חְנוּן
(ḥnun)
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Russian:
чуда́к
(čudák)
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Russian:
чу́дик
(čúdik)
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
Spanish:
friki
— unfashionable or socially undesirable person
