bookworm

bookworm — noun

1. someone whose favorite activity is reading, and who is often found with a book

1.nounB2
Definition

someone whose favorite activity is reading, and who is often found with a book

Example

Priya was a bookworm who spent lunch breaks in the library.

pattern: be a bookworm

By age ten, Diego had become a true bookworm with two shelves.

pattern: become a bookworm

Common collocations
  • be a bookworm
  • become a bookworm
  • turn into a bookworm
  • a true bookworm
Synonyms
  • reader

    neutral and broad; it does not suggest an especially strong habit

  • book lover

    warmer and more everyday; focuses on affection for books

  • bibliophile

    more formal; often suggests deep interest in books as objects too

Grammar Patterns

be a bookworm

become a bookworm

turn into a bookworm

Usage Note

Usually follows be, become, or turn into. Distinguish it from the neutral word reader: bookworm suggests that reading is a strong habit and a noticeable part of someone's character.

Common Mistakes

My cousin is bookworm.
My cousin is a bookworm.
Use the article 'a' before this countable noun.
I became a bookworm after reading one comic.
I became a bookworm after months of reading every evening.
The word describes a regular habit, not one single reading event.

Word family

  • bookish
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Reader' is the neutral everyday word for someone who reads. A 'bookworm' is stronger: it suggests a person who reads a great deal and is often happiest with a book. 'Book lover' is warmer and less teasing, and it can include people who enjoy books without reading constantly. 'Bibliophile' is more formal and may also suggest interest in collecting or valuing books themselves. 'Scholar' points to serious study, not simply love of reading. So a child hiding under the blanket with a novel can be called a bookworm, while a university researcher may be a scholar even if reading is mainly work.

reader ↗book loverbibliophilescholar ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • be a bookworm
  • a real bookworm
  • become a bookworm
  • turn into a bookworm

Etymology

English

This word joins book and worm. It comes from the image of small worms or larvae that eat into old books, and English later used that image jokingly for a person who seems to live among books because they read so much.