Merriam Webster Dictionary Reviews

I like to think that for the Pro version, that MerriamWebsterDictionary can truly help a user build up their vocabulary. I wonder if there is any way to have MerriamWebsterDictionary give a notification of the word of the day? Notifications can definitely help me build up this habit.

For Apple Watch, I would love to see Apple’s Scribble for a user’s text input. This could be a great help if a user may not be familiar with the pronunciation of a word.

Having integration with SiriKit and Universal Search would most definitely improve usage of MerriamWebsterDictionary and help to see MerriamWebsterDictionary replace the system dictionary.

One other thought would be to see the option to send a word via Apple’s Share Sheet to the dictionary. It would be great to add a list of words defined and be quizzed on them periodically for mastery.

When using Apple Watch to search for definitions...I frequently received an error message of “please try again” when trying to search for words.

When searching for words using Apple Watch, and it actually does provide a result, it would be wonderful to have synonyms come up for a word that is submitted. I would love for the Apple Watch to enhance my learning by providing quizzes for previously sought out definitions or synonyms. And is there anyway to mark someone’s progress in terms of reading level or vocabulary level?

Lastly, I am curious if they are looking for beta testers to help give feedback and make MerriamWebsterDictionary more robust.

March 2023: Paid for this upgraded version of MerriamWebsterDictionary , used it for years. Now in recent months, after an “update” or whatever “bug fixes and other tweaks” as they call it…MerriamWebsterDictionary doesn’t even work anymore. Constantly freezes as soon as I open it. Frustrating! Pretty disappointed

Update June 2024:
Seemed to be great, now I’ve rethought it. Sorry but MerriamWebsterDictionary is trash. Paid $10 for this “upgraded, no-ad” version of the original app, used it for a while with no problem. As of 2023 MerriamWebsterDictionary completely stopped working. It’s now 15 months later and it still freezes every time as soon as I open it. Doesn’t matter if you update it, MerriamWebsterDictionary simply won’t work as it’s advertised to. What’s even more interesting is, I deleted MerriamWebsterDictionary and downloaded again, just to see if maybe I was wrong and these guys had changed their strategy. Nope, as soon as I opened it, it worked for about 20 seconds until I noticed ghost touches on my screen and bam, it stopped working again 🤔 Must be those
“bug fixes and other tweaks“ I bet, huh? Shady! Pretty disappointed ya’ll took my money and flipped the script on the consumer. Any user with a brain can tell MerriamWebsterDictionary is used for snooping…shameful.

I’m here today because of asystole, a word meaning the cessation of heartbeat and lack of electrical activity in the heart.
This is just one of many words I’ve looked up that I didn’t find in this dictionary and had to look up online. This is a good basic dictionary but I’d like to see an unabridged dictionary become available.
Its not like I’m reading technical journals or other specialized material. A lot of the words I can’t find are words I’ve found through the words with friends app, or from movies or tv. Asystole came from stargate SG-1. Basic network tv from the 1990’s is stumping this dictionary lol.
All that said, I have no other complaints about this dictionary, though I’m here today to try a different dictionary. I see their competition has more words

Nice dictionary app, but a few things:

—You ask how we feel way too much, you don’t just ask every couple day, weeks, or months, but mutilple times a day, I’m not sure if it’s based off time, or words looked up, but please, stop. Do not just make it a tad less, but at least make it every couple days or longer that you ask in app how we feel. Until then, I’ll tap the frown face, because this alone is annoying.

Feature requests
—I think it would help a lot if MerriamWebsterDictionary had a spell checker. As you type, it’s not just looking for words you might be typing, but words you might have meant. For example if you typed “kat” “cat” would be an option. Of course this would go for bigger and more complex words too. This would also make it easier if the speaker isn’t available, or you just don’t want to use it.
—Another feature I think would be nice is a feature that I think some dictionary apps/programs call “wildcards”. For example you could type “c*d” and it would find all words that start with c and end with d or “c*r*d” for the same thing. * would be any amount of letters between the two letters it’s between. In addition to the * for many letters, a ? for one letter. For example “c?b” would find a words that start with c, end in b, and have one letter in between. “c?a?e” would turn up crate. It would be nice if we could do the above in addition to any number or combination of ? and *.

Please add these features, I really think they would add to MerriamWebsterDictionary .

LOVE THE WORD ORIGINS INFO! I’m a logophile, so the word root notes are important and beneficial to me. PLEASE keep and even expand these in future updates! HOWEVER, as I have found with most online resources and apps, it skimps in crucial places. I often find print versions to be far better because of the depth of information they contain. For example, the lists of synonyms and antonyms in MerriamWebsterDictionary are sorely lacking. They contain too much slang and are too short. And every time I’ve tried to use the THESAURUS, it has proved USELESS because it contains only the SAME synonyms and antonyms given in the dictionary! What’s the point, I wonder. I HAVE EARLY 80’s PRINT VERSIONS OF ROGET’S AND THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY THAT ARE MUCH MORE THOROUGH. So, all in all, useful only for convenience and superficial knowledge.

This is a decent, reliable app—Which Can Be IMPROVED:

(1) WE NEED M-W’s UNABRIDGED VERSION!!! (I usually look up RARE words—the ones often NOT found in M-W’s Collegiate Dictionary app. There is ZERO reason M-W can’t provide access to its unabridged dictionary!)

(2) Make Dictionary Look-ups FASTER! (I suggest programming the M-W Dictionary for its bread & butter: WORD LOOK-UPS!!!—Develop the software so I can IMMEDIATELY Enter the searched-for word, while ancillary portions of MerriamWebsterDictionary (e.g., games, or Word of the Day) are loading.

(3) At least MENTION there is a USAGE Controversy when there is one, so the user may choose to do further study. E.g., M-W features “SUPPOSABLY”—but says nothing about the common usage error of substituting the word for “supposedly.”

(4) Include PHONETIC GUESS / MisSpelling HELP in your word look-ups. All sorts of software, including that on search-engines, Wikipedia, etc., etc. help users find words—even if spelled incorrectly. One reason people use dictionaries is to LEARN the correct spelling[s] of a word! (This wd be LIGHT-Lifting, software development-wise!) presently, if a word is not PERFECTLY spelled, M-W will do NOTHING to allow me to look it up.

MerriamWebsterDictionary is pretty nice, and it has a lot of features for vocab building and the like. It also works pretty well as both a dictionary and thesaurus. However, it’s not the most streamlined. More pressing, some prominent elements are images, not text,. Therefore, they are not recognized by voiceover. This would be less of an issue, but these non text elements take up the majority of the main dictionary page. Additionally, I’ve encountered this problem where once I look at the word of the day, again, a big image at the top of the page that can’t be read, I am unable to return to the menu. The menu is there, but when tapping on the icon, voiceover reads the word of the day banner.
Therefore, extraneous inaccessible components prevent MerriamWebsterDictionary from being my convenient, go to pocket dictionary.

Kudos to Merriam-Webster, recent releases of this awesome dictionary app have become accessible for the visually impaired. And, needless to say, MerriamWebsterDictionary itself is fantastic in terms of its contents and the depth of information it provides.
However, I have given four stars to this application because, one, the Word games section can become more accessible and it should be more easily playable by the visually impaired, and, too, the online version of Merriam-Webster Dictionary providesmore information and usage notes compared with the application. Please incorporate usage notes and synonym discriminations into the application.

This is a really good app. The quizzes are an added bonus that are really enjoyable. What would catapult MerriamWebsterDictionary into the great category would be a greater ability to discern exactly what I am trying to spell out. MerriamWebsterDictionary is the bane of poor spellers like myself. So, often times I have to get Siri to spell the word for me prior to inputting it into MerriamWebsterDictionary, which I am sure you can agree is a real drag. Often times I just get Siri to define it as well because you have to be nearly spot on with your spelling to get a definition. However, after minor self absorbed complaint, this truly is a helpful and most of the time a user friendly accompaniment.

Unquestionably one of my most used apps, I am thankful everyday for MW taking the time to develop MerriamWebsterDictionary. I move around a lot and being able to take a vital reference book with me is a gift. (And I really wish more publishers would follow in their footsteps.) But the fact that there is not simple keyboard functionality for the iPad app is ridiculous at this point. If you type in a definition with the keyboard, you have to either use the mouse or your finger to chose the word and show the definition. I asked this nearly a year ago over email and was told the suggestion was interesting, as if it was legitimately something they had never considered. Please, just simple arrow key and enter functionality. Please.

I switched from the Oxford dictionary app I previously had for what might appear to be political reasons yet is actually a non-partisan one: defense of word definitions. When President Trump began tweeting out non-sensical statements that twisted or hollowed out the very meaning of certain words he was trying to use in an Orwellian manner, M-W would tweet out a response that focused on the actual definition of the word in defense of meaningful language. It may have appeared partisan to some, but to me it was a simple & timely reminder that words are not empty vessels. They are not window dressing. They are the window itself and attempts to use them to communicate in a way that is deliberately counter to their actual meaning effectively gaslights an entire language & the very culture that relies on it. I am happy with MerriamWebsterDictionary , & even happier supporting a company that recognizes that defending the meaning of words is to defend its core reason for being. Thank you M-W.

This function of the program gives me elegant words and the date that they were originally released. It is so nice and is improving my vocabulary and thus makes me me a better author! Very nice!
I look at the word of the day every single day as an author and a script writer, and learned from it from the definitions there in(If I don’t already know the definition).The words are extremely elegant! They help me to illustrate the points that I have in speech and communication… They allow me to Put forth the concepts that I have to get the idea across.
Extremely useful and elegant! I love the English language! I love all different languages!

I have been using MerriamWebsterDictionary for over three years now and have discovered some features as I have worked through my high school education. My favorite has to be the word games that work within MerriamWebsterDictionary to challenge my word knowledge and to help me expand my ability to name parts of objects that I didn't even think had a name. MerriamWebsterDictionary is also helpful as some dictionary apps don't supply the etymology of words which helps give context when reading older literature. Since, I have the propensity to read some books with quite the odd assortment of words I find myself using MerriamWebsterDictionary more than I would like to admit. But, thanks anyway for if MerriamWebsterDictionary didn't exist I would be doomed in English class.

I have been using a different dictionary in my smartphone for several years. I became somewhat put off by the direction it was going and went looking for another one. I have started using M-W and it is going well. This is not a newcomer, Merriam-Webster has been around for decades. This mobile version has a direct, thorough approach without lot of extraneous details and from my experience so far, without circular definitions. It includes good etymologies, and examples! The interface is professional—it doesn’t look like a game app: it looks like what it is, a reference. It’s clean with a simple design, and you can easily ignore the examples and etymologies if not interested. Recommended.

This is my favorite dictionary/thesaurus app, and I’ve run through them all. As someone who LOVES words, looks them up all day, not so much to expand my vocabulary anymore, but to study subtle nuances, origins and archaic and obsolete uses. Each word has MANY examples used in MEANINGFUL sentences that clearly delineate each use. The examples are sometimes famous quotations or literary excerpts (neat!)

The common ‘Word of the Day’ feature is more interesting than usual, as it has a “Did you know?” section after the standard definition, expanding on etymology and evolution of meaning. Newer versions save search history as a running list across the top of screen, making it simple to access previous look-ups and to toggle back-and-forth between words for comparison. You can also toggle between dictionary and thesaurus with a single click.

Opens quickly, and authoritative definitions. But I use a dictionary for just one purpose on my iPad: to find the meaning of a word I just read on my tablet. Why can't I copy the word, open the dictionary and be presented with a ready to paste into search box? And the widget? Why is it only the "new" word of the day? This is a great dictionary that would rather rest in that wooden stand in the corner of the dining room of the home I grew up in.
That is not my life today. Can I have a dictionary that works with me, rather than than against me? Or worse, stubbornly refuse to leave the wooden stand that now occupies space in the basement?

I'm so happy I found this fun and lovely app! It's by far the best of my three dictionary apps. The design is complete, the layout assists in making it easily usable, and I've finally heard the correct pronunciation of a word I've wondered about for years! The word-of-the-day today was very interesting and I look forward to more! I'm glad it doesn't require a constant internet connection because I can't afford to be online very often. And I'm sure glad they had this Pro paid version because I'm anti-subscription, and anti-ad. Thank you Merriam-Webster! 😍✨

This review is based specifically around the watchOS version of MerriamWebsterDictionary , which just got an update. But alas, ‘twas an update that did not address the most critical shortcoming of MerriamWebsterDictionary , which is that you can only use voice dictation to look up words. Hence, one will only ever know the definition of “weather” because it will never know whether you meant wether.

Until we get the ability to “scribble” (write in) a word to be looked up, it simply won’t be a very useful app on the watch.

Additionally, it gives poor and totally incomplete definitions on the watch. Take “weather”, for instance. The watch only tells us the (rather useless) definition of the adjective form (of or relating to the side facing the wind). Why not the noun? You know, the one that is at the top of the list of definitions when you look it up on the iOS version of MerriamWebsterDictionary .

Furthermore, why does it curtail the definition on the watchOS app? The screen can easily display text, and guess what, that little crown on the side, it allows you to scroll through text! So, theoretically, they could display all the definitions of a word, and we could simply scroll through to find the definition we’re looking for.

And why no support for synonyms? Why why why?? What exactly did they update for the watch in this version of MerriamWebsterDictionary ? I want my money back.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary app is great for anyone learning English. I especially like synonyms, antonyms, and thesaurus features which give me related words and phrases at every word. MerriamWebsterDictionary has clear and high-quality audio pronunciations, sentences, and concise definitions. Also, it nicely displays the parts of speeches. I utilize its favorite feature to save words and study them. Another smart and cool feature is that MerriamWebsterDictionary beautifully syncs with my Apple devices. Also, it works offline even though its audio pronunciation doesn’t work. I can add the words to favorite or delete the saved words offline, and once my Apple devices are online, they automatically sync.

MerriamWebsterDictionary is an excellent dictionary. Kudos to everyone who developed this extraordinary dictionary app; thank you to developers for this awesome app! I love it! The best is yet to come....

I I love the word of the day. I use MerriamWebsterDictionary daily. 5/5 star rating. I recommend it to everyone I know. know. is one of the best reference apps ever but I couldn't find an American version. Aside from that it's great for high school or college students. The vocal pronunciation component helps me comprehend and absorb the definitions even better. It also gives me more confidence to integrate a new word in a conversation and feel comfortable about it. MerriamWebsterDictionary is quick to access and does not make such a chore to build up my personal vocabulary. Let's face it— Going out of my way to physically look up a word in a giant book is not something I would normally do in order to learn about a new word... Now, I can learn definitions in seconds + hear the pronunciations on the spot. I use it in my everyday life and because of it's quick & easy access, my personal vocabulary is now more extensive. MerriamWebsterDictionary is a very useful tool and a Must Have. Anything that helps me be lazy yet still learn new things gets five stars! I LOVE MerriamWebsterDictionary! Thank You! :D