Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun nerd

2 senses of nerd

Sense 1
swot, grind, nerd, wonk, dweeb -- (an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious)
       => learner, scholar, assimilator -- (someone (especially a child) who learns (as from a teacher) or takes up knowledge or beliefs)

Sense 2
nerd -- (an intelligent but single-minded expert in a particular technical field or profession)
       => expert -- (a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully)