Adorkable

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Nerdy glasses, a huge bow-tie and a goofy grin. That's one cute geography geek.

Adorkable characters are fictional characters that the audience finds irresistible and cute because of their dorkiness, nerdiness, enthusiasm or vulnerability. Maybe they're socially inept or shy. Maybe they're really clumsy. Maybe they have some really, really conspicuous character tic that tends to earn them weird looks. Maybe they're just so darn sweet, that it borders on embarrassing. Heck, maybe they're just an out-and-out nerd. However, rather than making them an outcast, these quirks give the character an endearing vulnerability.

Societal norms would seem to suggest that this is the opposite of the (Western) ideal man or woman; in reality, many fans find these characters appealing: rather than an over-the-top caricature, these characters are enjoyable and relatable because they're not absurd supermen or unattainable supermodels. However, a hardened or attractive character can still be seen as Adorkable by the audience if they display traits like shyness or awkwardness underneath their exterior.

This term has become increasingly common in use, and can nowadays be heard at a higher frequency in movies and on the internet, to the point that it's now appeared in dictionaries.

Note that this is an audience reaction to certain characters—Endearingly Dorky is for when characters within the work find a dorky person endearing, charming, or even attractive. Compare Moe, where an adorable character instills feelings of protectiveness.

Adorkable

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