Is Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus free?
The Play Store listing says Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is free, but reviews make clear that many users do not experience it as fully free. Reviewers describe ads, upgrade prompts, a trial, and premium-locked features. A few users still like the free access to definitions, but prospective users should expect limits unless they pay.
you lie your dictionary is not free when I went to use it it was only free for three days then after that you wanted $39.00 and change. I'm not sure but I think that is a cheap trick to sell your product 😤 I won't even bother to give it any stars 🤬 but I have to to be able to post this LIE!!!
Constantly bugs me to upgrade to the paid version. ads that get in the way of the words I'm looking up and that are often difficult to close. bugs such as not selecting the definition I'm tapping or ads refusing to close despite having the option. and then getting told to upgrade again. extra star for the fact that it is a dictionary with words and definitions. but come on, even the *pronunciations* are pay walled. be so for real.
it's free that's why I love it
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Are ads in Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus intrusive?
Yes, intrusive ads are one of the clearest complaints in the recent reviews. Users say ads appear when opening the app or looking up words, can be hard or impossible to skip, and sometimes make the dictionary feel unusable. Even some positive reviews mention that the app is helpful but has too many ads.
The app never properly loads because of some stupid ad about languages AI learning persistently playing every time I try to launch this stupid thing, and there is no way to skip it rendering the app unusable. Uninstalled.
An absolutely absurd amount of ads for a dictionary app - there's next to no advantage to having this app over just googling words.
bought the app, still forced to endure ads. ads effectively render app unusable. uninstalled app. bought a hardcover Webster's dictionary.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus charge for pronunciation?
Audio pronunciation appears to be a premium feature. The app description says premium unlocks audio pronunciation, and reviewers complain that they cannot listen to pronunciations in the free version. If pronunciation is the main feature you need, the reviews suggest the free version may disappoint you.
Great app for sure, but you can't listen to the pronunciation without purchasing... Disappointing.🫤
Constantly bugs me to upgrade to the paid version. ads that get in the way of the words I'm looking up and that are often difficult to close. bugs such as not selecting the definition I'm tapping or ads refusing to close despite having the option. and then getting told to upgrade again. extra star for the fact that it is a dictionary with words and definitions. but come on, even the *pronunciations* are pay walled. be so for real.
it doesn't want to Pronounce the word I want you to pay
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Can Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus be used offline?
Offline access is described by the app as a premium benefit, not a free feature. Reviews also show friction around offline use: some users expected a dictionary they could use without Google or mobile data, while one long-time user reported slow and failing offline content downloads.
2024, Samsung A51: Can't d‘l offline content: d’l very slow! Fails part way through. Only want dictionary offline, but forced to get thesaurus too ☹️ 2025: This is one of my most used reference apps. But it hasn't changed in years. Surely, in 2025, it should find a word if you misspell it (lose another ⭐) New phone?: all your favourites will be lost☹️ Some formatting mistakes and missing or extra spaces in the dictionary definitions; if two example sentences, can't tell whether two, or one.
Why is it using data why not offline
I was hoping this was a dictionary I could use while I'm offline to search up a word without having to Google it. Guess I was wrong. Corporate greed wouldn't allow for something so simple and reliable to be used for free.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Is Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus good for students, homework, and vocabulary?
Many favorable reviews say Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is useful for learning words, homework, spelling, academic study, and exam preparation. The positive feedback is strongest when users focus on definitions, vocabulary building, and everyday study help. The main caveat is that the same review set also contains strong complaints about ads and paywalled features.
this is an amazing tool! Oxford Dictionary helps to improve your vocabulary.
Very helpful for my academic studies at university, if you're looking for a perfect dictionary I'd recommend you Oxford dictionary.
it's amazing it helped me to do my english homework ❤️😄
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus search work well for misspellings, phrases, and words from other apps?
Search quality is mixed in the reviews. The app description lists several search tools, but reviewers report practical gaps: autofill can add a trailing space that blocks results, misspelled words may not be found, and users want better searching for idioms, phrases, hyphenated compounds, and sentence examples. One reviewer also says looking up a word from outside the app requires choosing the dictionary each time.
Good app but rating three stars because of an inconvenience that can be a simple fix. When you finish typing a word using autofill on a mobile device, the dictionary is unable to find the word because of the default trailing space added after a word when using autofill. The dictionary search feature should be able to ignore that so users don't have to manually remove the trailing space in order to get the search results. I hope this gets resolved.
I used to subscribe to the official Oxford Dictionary app before deciding to try this one. Here's one suggestion: add universal search so users can search for idioms, phrases, hyphenated compound words, and sentence examples, not just single words. That's one feature the official app has that I love. Also add collocations and this app will be perfect.
Been happily using this app for a few years now only thing that could be improved is that when you look for a word outside of the app that connects you to the app, you have to choose which dictionary you wanna use for the word every time. I wished that app would automatically choose the latest dictionary you use the last. Or there could be pop-up version to check words outside of the app so that you don't have to go in the app to look up the word.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Is Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus the full Oxford English Dictionary?
The reviews do not support treating this app as the full historical Oxford English Dictionary. One reviewer specifically complains that it is not the full OED and asks for extended definitions and etymology. Other users praise Oxford depth and word origins, but if you specifically need full OED-style entries, this review set raises a real caution.
This isn't the full OED. Where is the extended definitions, etymology; the core of what makes it the "go-to" for anyone who is inspired by literature, however uneducated I am?
I appreciate the depth of the OED.
Oxford Dictionary is simply unparalleled because of translations of words from the sources of their Origins e.g. Latin , French , English , Greek , German , Arabia e.t.c.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
How do I cancel an Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus subscription?
The reviews here do not provide a verified cancellation process, but they do raise cancellation concerns. Users complain that they could not find an automatic cancel button, could not see a trial in Google Play subscriptions, or could not cancel through the website. Treat the trial and subscription flow cautiously because cancellation confusion is a recurring complaint in this sample.
I would like to opt out of my subscription, there should be a button that allows me to cancel automatically . cancel my subscription
That's a scam. Started the free trial and decided to cancel it immediately. The trial is not shown on my Google Play subscriptions and I am not able to cancel it on their website either!!!! 😡😡😡
reviewer mentioned this in the last 60 days
Do paid users still have problems with Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus?
Yes. Reviews from paid or formerly paid users report serious problems, including a paid version showing an error, ads after buying the app, premium benefits being removed, and Word of the Day turning itself back on. Paying may remove some limits according to the app description, but the reviews do not show a trouble-free premium experience.
I have a paid version and it's not working since last week. It shows an error.
I already paid for the apps. Now you stole my premium benefits and expect me to pay again, but now a subscription.
I've changed my rating to one star because the unbelievably stupid and annoying "Word of the Day" feature keeps toggling itself back on after I toggle it off! And to think I paid C$30-35 for this app! In light of the "Word of the Day" spam, I assume it's now free, so I should get a full refund! Scumbag company!
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Are Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus definitions clear and complete?
Reviews are split. Many users praise the definitions as helpful, correct, and useful for learning English, but others say definitions can be too complex, examples are limited, formatting can be confusing, or some translations are missing. It looks strongest as a general dictionary, with some gaps for users who need simpler explanations, more examples, or specific bilingual coverage.
Recent updates ruined it for me. For example the back button immediately closing my entire chain of words. And I find the definitions far too complex which means I'm constantly getting into long chains. I'm not sure if they changed it or I just got dumber recently. I was hoping this would be the same as the old Google dictionary (that was replaced by AI). Also it needs the option to have the keyboard already open by default as soon as you open the app. Reaching to the top every time is annoying.
An excellent dictionary for anyone learning English. It provides clear definitions, useful examples, and accurate pronunciations. It’s simple to use and very helpful for improving vocabulary.
Well done app but there are, at least in the French dictionary, lacking translations. Update: I've already sent two emails with my concerns. Unfortunately, I haven't received a single answer...
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Is Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus worth installing compared with just Googling words?
It depends on what you value. Positive reviewers like the Oxford source, vocabulary help, dark mode, saved favorite words, and multiple dictionaries. Critical reviewers say ads, subscriptions, and paywalls make it hard to justify when a quick web search is free. The reviews support installing it only if the dictionary content and Oxford branding outweigh the interruptions for you.
This online dictionary has become my favorite. For those who have trouble spelling, especially of words not often seen in the 21st century, it's very useful. I use it in dark mode because it's easier on my eyes than other dark mode dictionary apps. I love being able to save my favorite words that I learn when I'm unfamiliar with terms that scholars utilize. That allows me to refresh my memory. I give this five stars.
crazy that I cant research right away because of Ads. and no I won't pay for a subscription when I can Google a word for free.
Great app! I don't mind paying for access to something - especially when it is such a robust resource. Several different [language] dictionaries and a thesaurus. Highly recommend.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Answers above are generated from real Google Play reviews of Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus, not editorial opinion.