Thesaurus Meaning in English

word

US

θəˈsɔɹəs

thuh-SAWR-us

UK

θɛsˈɔːɹəs

thes-AW-ruhs

Definition

A thesaurus is a book or digital tool that lists words with similar or related meanings (synonyms) and sometimes opposite meanings (antonyms) to help expand vocabulary.

Usage & Nuances

'Thesaurus' is most common in academic, writing, and language-learning contexts. It usually refers to a list of synonyms and sometimes antonyms. Don't confuse it with a standard dictionary, which explains word meanings rather than alternatives. Common phrase: 'look it up in a thesaurus'.

• Spanish: tesauro - diccionario de sinónimos
• Portuguese (BR): dicionário de sinônimos - thesaurus
• Portuguese (PT): dicionário de sinónimos - thesaurus
• Chinese (Simplified): 同义词词典
• Chinese (Traditional): 同義詞詞典
• Hindi: पर्यायवाची शब्दकोश
• Arabic: قاموس المرادفات
• Bengali: থিসরাস - সমার্থক শব্দকোষ
• Russian: тезаурус - словарь синонимов
• Japanese: シソーラス - 類語辞典
• Vietnamese: từ điển đồng nghĩa - bảng từ đồng nghĩa
• Korean: 유의어 사전
• Turkish: eş anlamlılar sözlüğü - tezaurus
• Urdu: مترادفات کی لغت
• Indonesian: tesaurus - kamus sinonim

Example Sentences

I used a thesaurus to find another word for 'happy'.

basic

You can find synonyms in a thesaurus.

basic

My teacher recommended using a thesaurus when writing essays.

basic

If you want your writing to sound less repetitive, try a thesaurus.

natural

I always keep a thesaurus open when I'm editing stories.

natural

These days, there’s a thesaurus built into most word processors.

natural