How to Use the Thesaurus in Microsoft Word

The Microsoft Word Thesaurus makes it possible to look up synonyms and antonyms to words as you type with a few clicks of your mouse. Once you learn to use the thesaurus, you'll be able to automatically replace words as you type to improve your writing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Open Microsoft Word and begin typing your document. When a word comes up you would like to use the thesaurus for, select it.

2. Choose "Language" from the "Tools" menu and then "Thesaurus." You can also press Shift and the F7 key simultaneously to activate the thesaurus. The thesaurus window pops up.

3. Find the list of word meanings on the left side of the window. These are the possible meanings of the word you selected. Select the meaning that most closely fits how you intended to use the word. For additional help in selecting a meaning, Microsoft Word will put the part of speech of the word in parenthesis. When you have selected your meaning, hit the "Look Up" button.

4. Look on the right side of the window for a list of synonyms generated by the thesaurus. Depending on the word, the thesaurus may also list a few antonyms. These will be displayed with ("Antonym") behind the word.

5. Pick the synonym you'd like to use and hit the "Replace" button. The synonym replaces the original word in your document. If you're unhappy with your list of words, pick the one you like best and hit "Look Up" again. The Microsoft Word thesaurus will then generate synonyms of the synonym.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the thesaurus by right-clicking on any word in a Microsoft Word document and choosing "Synonyms." A list of potential replacements are listed as well as the option to open up the thesaurus window.
• Look up additional words in the thesaurus window at any time by typing the word into the text box in the upper right hand corner and hitting "Look Up." Click the "Previous" button to go back to your previous word.