How to Look Up a Word on Dictionary.com

Updated

Type the word into the search box at the top of dictionary.com and press Enter or click the search icon. The results page opens with the definition first, followed by pronunciation, part of speech, example sentences, and synonyms where available. This works for any English word in the site's index; if a word isn't listed, you'll see a "no results" message and sometimes suggested alternatives.

Step-by-step: searching for a word

  1. Go to dictionary.com. The homepage centers on a search field and the day's featured content.
  2. Click the search box and type the word you want. Spelling matters — the site matches entries, not fuzzy guesses.
  3. Press Enter or click the search button. The definition page loads.
  4. Read the entry from the top: headword, pronunciation, part of speech, then numbered senses.
  5. Scroll for example sentences, synonyms, and related terms.

Expected result: a definition page for that exact word. If the word has multiple senses (like meme stock or aromantic), they appear as separate numbered definitions, often with labels showing the context — finance, slang, informal, and so on.

What a definition page typically contains

Section What it gives you
Headword and pronunciation The word plus a phonetic respelling (e.g., behindhand shown as [bih- hahynd -hand])
Part of speech noun, verb, adjective, etc.
Numbered definitions One or more senses, ordered by common usage
Example sentences The word used in context
Synonyms Related words, when the entry has them
Word origin Etymology for many entries

Not every entry has every section. Short or newly trending words may show fewer fields.

Finding more than definitions

The homepage and article sections are separate from the search flow, but they're useful when you don't have a specific word in mind:

  • Word of the Day — a featured word with its definition, updated daily (for example, behindhand).
  • Trending Words — terms spiking in search, such as wepa, aromantic, meme stock, or Lunar New Year, each with a short explainer.
  • Featured Articles — longer pieces on word origins and language, like where "achoo" and "bless you" come from, or whether your name is in the dictionary.
  • Word games — a daily puzzle where you build as many words as you can from given letters.

Common snags

  • Misspelling returns nothing useful. The site doesn't auto-correct to the closest word, so check the spelling and try again.
  • Inflected forms. Searching running may land on a form of run; the base entry usually carries the full definition.
  • Multiple senses. If the first definition doesn't fit your context, keep reading — later numbered senses often cover specialized or slang meanings.
  • Proper nouns and very new slang. Coverage varies; a term trending on the site may have a short entry rather than a full one.