Word > Spelling, grammar, and thesaurus

Look up words in the thesaurus

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Using the thesaurus, you can look up synonyms (different words with the same meaning) and antonyms

(words with the opposite meaning).

TIP   In Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, and Microsoft Office Outlook, you can look up

a word quickly if you right-click anywhere in the document, presentation, open message, or previewed

message in the Reading Pane, and then click Synonym on the shortcut menu.
Which 2007 Microsoft Office system program are you using?

Excel

OneNote

Outlook

PowerPoint

Publisher

Visio

Word

Excel

1. On the Review tab, click Thesaurus.

Where is this?

2. Press ALT and click the word that you want to look up. Results appear in the Research task

pane.

3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:
  To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

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OneNote

1. On the Review tab, click Research, and then in the All Reference Books list, click

Thesaurus.

Where is this?

2. Press ALT and click the word that you want to look up. Results appear in the Research task

pane.

3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:

 To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

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Outlook

1. In a new message, click the message body, and then on the Message tab, in the Proofing

group, click Spelling, and then click Thesaurus.

Where is this?

 NOTE    In Microsoft Office Outlook, the Research task pane is available in any new Outlook

item, such as a message you can compose in, but not from the main Outlook window.

2. Press ALT and click the word that you want to look up. Results appear in the Research task

pane.

3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:

 To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

 Top of Page

PowerPoint
 NOTE    Using ALT+Click is not supported in Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

1. Highlight the word you want to look up.

2. On the Review tab, click Thesaurus.

Where is this?

3. Click Start Searching

4. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:

 To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

 Top of Page

Publisher

1. On the Home tab, click Spelling, and then click Thesaurus.

Where is this?
2. Press ALT and click the word that you want to look up. Results appear in the Research task

pane.

3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:

 To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

 Top of Page

Visio

1. On the Review tab, click Thesaurus.

Where is this?

2. Press ALT and click the word that you want to look up. Results appear in the Research task

pane.

3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:

 To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

  Top of Page

Word

1. On the Review tab, click Thesaurus.

Where is this?

2. Press ALT and click the word that you want to look up. Results appear in the Research task

pane.

3. To use one of the words in the list of results or to search for more words, do one of the

following:

 To use one of the words, point to it, click the down arrow, and then click Insert or

Copy.

 To look up additional related words, click a word in the list of results.

 NOTE    You can also look up words in the thesaurus of another language. If, for example, your document

is in French and you want synonyms, click Research options in the Research task pane, and then under

Reference Books, select the thesaurus options that you want.

 Top of Page