geekdar

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

The ability to detect whether or not a person is a geek.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

This gaydar/geekdar confusion got completely out of hand at the LISA/USENIX conference in Chicago a few weeks ago. While there is certainly a gay presence at all levels at this conference, it is not, in fact, a motss.con.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “geekdar” mean?

The ability to detect whether or not a person is a geek.

Is “geekdar” formal or informal?

geekdar is generally slang.