bookworm

What it means

A bookworm is someone who reads constantly and obviously enjoys spending time with books rather than socializing or doing more physical activities. The word is usually affectionate or neutral and can describe both quiet children and serious adult readers across any genre.

Examples

• She was such a bookworm that she read three novels on the flight alone.
• My nephew has turned into a real bookworm this year.
• I'm not the most social person — I'm more of a bookworm.
• Even on holiday, the bookworm in him refused to leave the hotel library.

Where it comes from

Originally a literal 16th-century term for various insect larvae that burrow into and damage books and bindings — the imagery of a creature 'eating its way through' books was then transferred to enthusiastic readers. The figurative meaning was already standard in English by the late 1500s.

Related idioms