Chambers Thesaurus App Reviews
I was rather surpised Apple had not included this app in their “Apps for Writers.” Not only is the app elegant in a simple, understated way, it is so incredibly functional. It is easy to use. It does exactly what it says it will do. I can think of so many that don’t. I realize that thesauri aren’t a part of normal conversation, but I will say Chambers Thesaurus is my most frequently used app. I thought it deserved a little recognition or some applause. Alas, I believe my little party celebrating the app would be limited to its developers (good job!), the content folks (likely to be editors from the print side moonlighting in the exciting world of tech), and maybe the marketing team (likely concerned about the placement of the icon). Well, I toast you all. This app is defintely a great buy and I hope one day soon our little soirée requires cases of Madame Clicquo’s finest.
Best thesaurus I’ve found for the Mac. Simple, easy to use, no bloat. I wish this could be loaded as the default system thesaurus, and I would love for the service menu item to be turned on by default.
One of the Best English Dictionary Applications
I have been using applications by WordWeb for years, and they serve their purposes very well.
Apples Mac OS X Dictionary already includes Oxford American Writers Thesaurus with 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms so casual users probably dont need the Chambers version, but for those wanting a more in-depth expanded thesaurus will find it a worthwhile addition. A search in Apples built in dictionary/thesaurus: mist noun the mist was clearing: haze, fog, smog, murk, cloud, drizzle. ------------------------------------------------------ A search in Chamber: mist noun haze, fog, vapor, smog, cloud, murk, condensation, film, spray, drizzle, mizzle, dew, steam, veil, dimness mist over/up cloud over, become cloudy, become hazy, fog (up), dim, blur, become blurred, steam up, obscure, veil, glaze Antonyms: clear ----------------------------------------- You can use the Chambers Thesaurus as a stand alone app, but if you have Word Web pro or Oxford Dictionary of English installed they will cross reference each other (useful). I wish WordWeb would integrate Apples dictionary into their products. It is frustrating to have 2 separate dictionary/thesaurus systems you have to flip between. Apples interface is hands down better, but when you are hunting for words WordWebs products have additional functionality that word fans need. If youre still reading this review - My favorite thesaurus of all time is ThinkMaps Visual Thesaurus. Sadly they dont sell the stand alone Mac version anymore, just a web version (useful for visual creative marketing types).
Use Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus
Truth be told, the standard issue Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus app contains far more word options than the Chambers Thesaurus. Its quite shocking.
I have used the print version of this Thesaurus for years. Although Im in the US its always been one of the resources I have reached for first. Im glad its now available for the Mac. I also bought WordWeb and Chambers dictionary. The three apps plug into each other for cross referencing. Together they make the most powerful linguistic tool on my Mac. Highly recommend it.
I bought this and thought I was using the app, it turns out the Chambers Thesaurus is already present on your mac (or at least for the newer versions with dictionary app and spotlight search). Check before you purchase. Spotlight search a word, or open the dictionary app, and the thesaurus should be the next tab over from the dictionary tab.
This is a GREAT thesaurus
I was looking for a good thesaurus that provides antonyms. I found this and love it. Every word is hyperlinked so I can move through the thesaurus easily. It runs as a service, so I can select a word in my working document and then right clck to reveal the Services menu and launch Chambers Thesaurus to locate the word I've selected. Super easy. The content of the thesaurus is impressive; lots of words and expressions I would not have thought of on my own. This is a great tool for anyone who needs to write.
Needs Dark Mode
I would agree with other reviewers. It needs a dark mode. When all my other apps are in dark mode, it's difficult to look - way too bright.
Excellent resource
I am a professional author and I’ve been using this app for several years. I find it extremely powerful, having a wealth of synonyms and antonyms. The UI is easy to use. In a standard use model you just type the word—the focus will always remain on the input text field so you can alt tab away, do whatever work you are doing, alt tab back and just start typing. In a more in depth use model, you can use that field to start a journey through the massive collection of words and even phrases by clicking on a word that comes closest to what you’re looking for, and by repeating that dig around your word choices. I’ve found it to be amazingly useful, easy to use and one of my go to tools while writing. I ended up wanting something similar for simple definition and purchased the Chambers Dictionary to go along with it. These two apps are always open, side by side on their own desktop and are a central part of my writing toolkit. Please note that to get the two apps you’re going to spend roughly $30 in total but I was more than okay with this price. To get the similar word-power in a physical book form, you would spend a lot more than that.
No Dark Mode
- love how synonyms and antonyms are given in one place. - love how you dont have to leave your working application (MSWORD) to look up the word. Once you hit command c, Chambers automatically looks up the word for me. its a great time saving feature! One thing I hope to see in the future thought: DARK MODE. This is the only app that gives bright white projection in the screen when studying.
Doesn’t work
Doesn’t work. Don’t buy it.
I Really Like it.
It does what it needs to and it does it very well. Launches fast and has a very simple interface. When I need to find a replacement for a word - BOOM - I have many choices. Great application.
Very efficient interface, and great Chambers content
These WordWeb dictionaries (Chambers Thesaurus in this case) are basically an exceptional replacement for the built-indictionaries in MacOS. The content is very well organanized, and the interface is up-to-date with the latest improvements in MacOS. As far as content, it does not get any better than Oxford and Chambers. Of course it would be amaziang to have the entire Oxford English Dictionary, but that license is impossible to obtain and would cost $1,000. But for everyday use this is a fantastic set of products. If you have not looked, check out the other offerings by this developer. I have used these WordWeb softwares for 9 years (since 2009) before they were on the App Store. They are truly excellent for writers, academics, and other researchers. Fast, efficient with good content. (I am also putting this review on the other WordWeb App Store products I own, because they really are part of an integrated product.)
Awesome App! It makes writing so much easier.
I purchased this a few minutes ago, and immediately was impressed with the clean interface and the fact that all the dictionaries and thesauri are integrated into one interface, making this app an awesome addition to my writing needs. But more than that, I use Scrivener for writing and am constantly trying to find an alternate word, with this app I can put it in a split of the full screen with Srivener on one side using 80% of my screen and this app using 20% and I can simply select and copy a word to the pasteboard and the app automatically updates with the word selected. Huge time saver!!! When I saw that I had to write this review! Thank you!
Great Writer’s App… would love stronger OS intigration
Best thesaurus I’ve found for the Mac. Simple, easy to use, no bloat. I wish this could be loaded as the default system thesaurus, and I would love for the service menu item to be turned on by default.
Great, Understated App
I was rather surpised Apple had not included this app in their “Apps for Writers.” Not only is the app elegant in a simple, understated way, it is so incredibly functional. It is easy to use. It does exactly what it says it will do. I can think of so many that don’t. I realize that thesauri aren’t a part of normal conversation, but I will say Chambers Thesaurus is my most frequently used app. I thought it deserved a little recognition or some applause. Alas, I believe my little party celebrating the app would be limited to its developers (good job!), the content folks (likely to be editors from the print side moonlighting in the exciting world of tech), and maybe the marketing team (likely concerned about the placement of the icon). Well, I toast you all. This app is defintely a great buy and I hope one day soon our little soirée requires cases of Madame Clicquo’s finest.
Already on your mac… inside dictionary app
I bought this and thought I was using the app, it turns out the Chambers Thesaurus is already present on your mac (or at least for the newer versions with dictionary app and spotlight search). Check before you purchase. Spotlight search a word, or open the dictionary app, and the thesaurus should be the next tab over from the dictionary tab.
Excellent
I have used the print version of this Thesaurus for years. Although I'm in the US it's always been one of the resources I have reached for first. I'm glad it's now available for the Mac. I also bought WordWeb and Chambers dictionary. The three apps plug into each other for cross referencing. Together they make the most powerful linguistic tool on my Mac. Highly recommend it.
Use Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus
Truth be told, the standard issue Apple Dictionary/Thesaurus app contains far more word options than the Chambers Thesaurus. It's quite shocking.
More indepth than Apple's included Thesaurus
Apple's Mac OS X Dictionary already includes Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus with 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms so casual users probably don't need the Chambers version, but for those wanting a more in-depth expanded thesaurus will find it a worthwhile addition. A search in Apple's built in dictionary/thesaurus: mist noun the mist was clearing: haze, fog, smog, murk, cloud, drizzle. ------------------------------------------------------ A search in Chamber: mist noun haze, fog, vapor, smog, cloud, murk, condensation, film, spray, drizzle, mizzle, dew, steam, veil, dimness mist over/up cloud over, become cloudy, become hazy, fog (up), dim, blur, become blurred, steam up, obscure, veil, glaze Antonyms: clear ----------------------------------------- You can use the Chamber's Thesaurus as a stand alone app, but if you have Word Web pro or Oxford Dictionary of English installed they will cross reference each other (useful). I wish WordWeb would integrate Apple's dictionary into their products. It is frustrating to have 2 separate dictionary/thesaurus systems you have to flip between. Apple's interface is hands down better, but when you are hunting for words WordWeb's products have additional functionality that word fans need. If you're still reading this review - My favorite thesaurus of all time is ThinkMap's Visual Thesaurus. Sadly they don't sell the stand alone Mac version anymore, just a web version (useful for visual creative marketing types).