Report updated Apr 17, 2026
Dictionary.com: English Words
For students, lifelong learners, and professionals seeking to improve their English vocabulary and writing skills.
Dictionary.com: English Words is a struggling reference app that is completely free. With a 4.3/5 rating from 1.3M reviews, it struggles with user retention. Users particularly appreciate educational value, though removal of paid features/premium access remains a common concern.
What is Dictionary.com: English Words?
Current Momentum
v12.0 · 1mo ago
MaintenanceThe app is currently in maintenance mode, with all recent releases focused exclusively on bug fixes and performance improvements.
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Access to over 2 million definitions and synonyms from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com
A gamified learning feature that presents random words and definitions to test user knowledge
In-depth articles exploring word origins and language nuances
How much does it cost?
- Free access to all core dictionary and thesaurus features
The app is entirely ad-supported. Recent strategy shifts have removed legacy paid/premium versions, forcing all users into the ad-heavy free experience, which has caused significant user backlash.
Who Built It?
Curiosity Media
Providing curriculum-aligned educational games and high-utility language reference tools for students and lifelong learners.
Portfolio
12
Apps
What other apps does Curiosity Media make?
Explore the full Curiosity Media report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Curiosity Media.
What do users think recently?
High confidence · Latest 100 of 115 total reviews analyzed · Based on 115 reviews. Signal may be noisy.
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a upset sentiment. Users appreciate educational value, but report removal of paid features/premium access and excessive advertising.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Dictionary.com: English Words?
Where is it available?
Localized markets (3)
How's The Reference Market?
How does it evolve in the Reference market?
Rank progression
89 active rankings tracked — 30-day window
The rivals identified
The outtake for Dictionary.com: English Words
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Massive content library (2M+ definitions)
- High-quality editorial and linguistic deep-dives
- Strong brand authority and SEO funnel
Critical Frictions
- Aggressive and intrusive video advertising
- Broken migration path for legacy premium users
- Loss of core utility features like 'Favorites'
Growth Levers
- Modernize UI to match design-first competitors like LookUp
- Introduce a stable, ad-free subscription tier
- Expand offline dictionary access
Market Threats
- Merriam-Webster's higher user trust and offline features
- Niche apps capturing 'Word of the Day' engagement
- AI-driven writing tools reducing the need for manual lookups
What are the next best moves?
Restore 'Favorites' and Saved Word data persistence
Medium-frequency complaint theme where users report years of saved data being 'in the trash,' directly driving them to seek alternatives.
Fix Premium Account Restoration
High-frequency complaint regarding the removal of previously purchased premium access; this is the primary driver of the 'Terrible' sentiment and 1-star reviews.
Implement Ad-Frequency Caps for Search
Users report being 'assaulted' by video ads during simple lookups, which compromises the app's core utility as a quick reference tool.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Robust offline dictionary access (available in Merriam-Webster)
- Integrated word games like Quordle (available in Merriam-Webster)
- Minimalist, design-first UI (available in LookUp)
- Highly shareable aesthetic word cards (available in Word of the Day - Monkey Taps)
Key Takeaways
Dictionary.com is trading long-term brand equity for short-term ad revenue, resulting in a 'Terrible' sentiment profile that threatens its market leadership. To survive the challenge from Merriam-Webster and design-centric 'New Kids' like LookUp, the PM must prioritize restoring user trust by fixing the premium migration and returning core features like 'Favorites.'
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
Sentiment is 'Terrible' with high-frequency complaints about monetization — indicates a breakdown in user trust.
Rankings dropped to #100 Free (↓3) — suggests a loss of organic momentum in the US market.
Recent updates (March 2026) focused only on bug fixes and A-Z browsing — indicates maintenance mode rather than innovation.