Meaning & use

wonk

noun·Everyday

A person, especially a student or professional, who is deeply and studiously interested in a specific, often technical, subject.

See it in a sentence

A self-described policy wonk, she could recite budget figures from memory during meetings.

The tech wonk spent his weekends tinkering with old computers just for fun.

A note on using this word

Wonk is informal and, unlike nerd, usually implies genuine expertise in a niche subject rather than mere social awkwardness.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “wonk”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.