"wonk" meaning in English

See wonk in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: wonks [plural]
Etymology: American English student slang 1954; perhaps navy slang before that. "Expert" sense popularized in the Clinton administration, 1993. Origin uncertain, possibly from wonky (“shaky, unreliable”) or wank, wanker or simply expressive. Head templates: {{en-noun}} wonk (plural wonks)
  1. (derogatory, informal) An overly studious person, particularly a student. Tags: derogatory, informal Categories (topical): People Synonyms: nerd, dork Translations (overly studious person): bûcheur [masculine] (French), Streber [masculine] (German), Streberin [feminine] (German), secchione [masculine] (Italian), бота́н (botán) [masculine] (Russian), empollón [masculine] (Spanish), empollona [Spain, derogatory, feminine] (Spanish), chapón [masculine] (Spanish), chapona [Spain, derogatory, feminine] (Spanish), mateo [Chile, colloquial, masculine] (Spanish), cıwan (diq) (Zazaki), resber [common-gender] (Zazaki)
    Sense id: en-wonk-en-noun-6Sm9bJ6w Disambiguation of People: 68 32 Disambiguation of 'overly studious person': 88 12
  2. (by extension, informal) A policy wonk or other intellectual expert. Tags: broadly, informal
    Sense id: en-wonk-en-noun-cmWqS9ra Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Zazaki translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 11 89 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 19 81 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 11 89 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 8 92 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 24 76 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 21 79 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 18 82 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 18 82 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of Terms with Zazaki translations: 18 82
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: policy wonk, wonkfest, wonkish

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "policy wonk"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "wonkfest"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "wonkish"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "American English student slang 1954; perhaps navy slang before that. \"Expert\" sense popularized in the Clinton administration, 1993. Origin uncertain, possibly from wonky (“shaky, unreliable”) or wank, wanker or simply expressive.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wonks",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wonk (plural wonks)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Catherine Sheldrick Ross, Pleasures of Reading, The: A Booklover's Alphabet, page 53:",
          "text": "Previously, e-reading had been the domain of early adopters and new technology wonks.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An overly studious person, particularly a student."
      ],
      "id": "en-wonk-en-noun-6Sm9bJ6w",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "studious",
          "studious"
        ],
        [
          "student",
          "student"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, informal) An overly studious person, particularly a student."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nerd"
        },
        {
          "word": "dork"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bûcheur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Streber"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Streberin"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "secchione"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "botán",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "бота́н"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "empollón"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "Spain",
            "derogatory",
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "empollona"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "chapón"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "Spain",
            "derogatory",
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "chapona"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "Chile",
            "colloquial",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mateo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "zza",
          "lang": "Zazaki",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "word": "cıwan (diq)"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "88 12",
          "code": "zza",
          "lang": "Zazaki",
          "sense": "overly studious person",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "resber"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "11 89",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 81",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 89",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 92",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 79",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Zazaki translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014 March 14, Dean Baker, “Paul Ryan isn't the wonk of Washington – it's time to listen to more good ideas”, in The Guardian:",
          "text": "This is the sort of standard that the Paul Ryans of the world trumpet to their constituents, to potential campaign contributors and to their peers in Congress. They become “budget wonks” and political superstars, even if their proposals are bound to go nowhere.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A policy wonk or other intellectual expert."
      ],
      "id": "en-wonk-en-noun-cmWqS9ra",
      "links": [
        [
          "policy wonk",
          "policy wonk"
        ],
        [
          "intellectual",
          "intellectual"
        ],
        [
          "expert",
          "expert"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, informal) A policy wonk or other intellectual expert."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Michael Quinion"
  ],
  "word": "wonk"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English student slang",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Zazaki translations",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "policy wonk"
    },
    {
      "word": "wonkfest"
    },
    {
      "word": "wonkish"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "American English student slang 1954; perhaps navy slang before that. \"Expert\" sense popularized in the Clinton administration, 1993. Origin uncertain, possibly from wonky (“shaky, unreliable”) or wank, wanker or simply expressive.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wonks",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wonk (plural wonks)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Catherine Sheldrick Ross, Pleasures of Reading, The: A Booklover's Alphabet, page 53:",
          "text": "Previously, e-reading had been the domain of early adopters and new technology wonks.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An overly studious person, particularly a student."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "studious",
          "studious"
        ],
        [
          "student",
          "student"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, informal) An overly studious person, particularly a student."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nerd"
        },
        {
          "word": "dork"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014 March 14, Dean Baker, “Paul Ryan isn't the wonk of Washington – it's time to listen to more good ideas”, in The Guardian:",
          "text": "This is the sort of standard that the Paul Ryans of the world trumpet to their constituents, to potential campaign contributors and to their peers in Congress. They become “budget wonks” and political superstars, even if their proposals are bound to go nowhere.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A policy wonk or other intellectual expert."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "policy wonk",
          "policy wonk"
        ],
        [
          "intellectual",
          "intellectual"
        ],
        [
          "expert",
          "expert"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, informal) A policy wonk or other intellectual expert."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bûcheur"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Streber"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Streberin"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "secchione"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "botán",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "бота́н"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "empollón"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "Spain",
        "derogatory",
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "empollona"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "chapón"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "Spain",
        "derogatory",
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "chapona"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "Chile",
        "colloquial",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mateo"
    },
    {
      "code": "zza",
      "lang": "Zazaki",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "word": "cıwan (diq)"
    },
    {
      "code": "zza",
      "lang": "Zazaki",
      "sense": "overly studious person",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "resber"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Michael Quinion"
  ],
  "word": "wonk"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wonk meaning in English (3.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.