9 Of The Most Useful Thesauruses For Writers (2024)

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$33.25

Offering real-life example sentences and a selection of the most relevant synonyms for each word, the Oxford Thesaurus should have pride of place on your writer’s library shelf -- right alongside the Oxford Dictionary.

It even has a Word Finder section, organized by subject, as well as a comprehensive language guide and tools for selecting and using vocabulary.

You’ll also find helpful commentary (on certain words) by noted contemporary writers, including Zadie Smith and David Foster Wallace.

$6.99

This is Book 1 of the Writers Helping Writers Series by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Writers have hailed this bestselling thesaurus as “the gold standard for writers.”

Each entry offers body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses, so you can show rather than tell what yourcharacteris feeling.

If you’ve ever looked for just the right word to show what your character was feeling, so your reader could feel it, too, this book will be an indispensable part of your writing resource library.

$14.61

The old standby thesaurus now comes in an editionspecifically for writers. Organized by meaning, each entry in the book provides a pronunciation guide, definition, antonyms, synonyms, and a sample sentence.

You’ll find inspiration and expand your vocabulary the more you use this book. Updated for the 21st century, Roget’s Thesaurus may be the first one you open when you’re struggling to think of just the right word to use.

$6.99

Book 6 of the Writers Helping Writer Series, this thesaurus specializes in words related to psychological trauma and emotional wounds. Readers to connect to characters who’ve experienced trauma or heartbreak.

Painful experiences lend depth and pathos to a character who might otherwise feel two-dimensional and unrelatable. But if you’ve ever had difficulty finding the words you need to give your damaged characters that depth, you need this thesaurus on your shelf.

$9.99

A self-described “ultimate guide to powerful language,” this unique thesaurus focuses on the words we use every day and addresses mispronounced and misused words.

The goal here is to learn how to expand your vocabulary and know how to use the right words (scholarly or simple, depending on the context) correctly and with the best results.

Because being well-spoken is less about knowing lofty words and more about knowing what words best suit the moment and using them correctly.

$0.00

Speaking of evocative thesauruses, if you’re looking for the right words to appeal to your readers senses -- so they see, hear, smell, taste, or feel what you’re describing -- you need Linda Hart’s Thesaurus of the Senses.

The most compelling words are those that invoke the senses. And even the best writers can struggle sometimes to think of the right ones to use. Keep this thesaurus on your shelf to make those moments far less frequent.

$6.99

Every important character in your story -- especially the protagonist -- needs both flaws and redeeming qualities. But how do you choose the right positive traits for a character with specific flaws. And how would those positive traits manifest?

Enter the Positive Traits Thesaurus, which gives you a large selection of positive attributes to choose from, each with possible causes for those traits to emerge, along with the attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that tend to go with it.

You’ll also see real character examples from literature, film, and television to illustrate each positive trait and show how it influences each character’s arc and actions.

$14.72

If you love distinctive words and have a passion for precise, evocative language, this thesaurus is for you. Meltzer’s thesaurus puts each word in context with examples that show exactly how to use it and what it brings to the sentence.

His introduction argues the importance of broadening your vocabulary and learning how to use the “one right word.” Both are important not only for everyday speech but for writing content your readers will enjoy and learn from.

$6.99

Book 2 of the Writers Helping Writers Series, this thesaurus is all about finding the right flaws for your characters, understanding how those flaws might have developed, and knowing how they might drive your characters and affect those around them.

Real examples from literature, film, and television show how each flaw can influence a character’s actions and decision-making -- as well as what you can do to help your flawed character’s avoid common pitfalls.