French synonym dictionary
Type a French word: the tool shows its synonyms grouped by meaning, with a link to each one's page. Accents are optional. The words stay in French.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Grouped by meaning
- One-click copy
What is sent to our server — The dictionary is queried on our server: the word you type is sent to it to suggest words and find its synonyms. Nothing else is sent, and the word is not linked to your identity.
How to find a French synonym
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Type a French word
Write the word in the box, for example école or beau. Suggestions appear as you type: pick one or press Enter.
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Find the right meaning
Synonyms are grouped by meaning and by part of speech (noun, verb, adjective…). Choose the group that fits your sentence.
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Copy it or go deeper
The button next to a synonym copies it. Clicking the word opens its own page, so you can jump from synonym to synonym.
A French dictionary built to help you write faster
Grouped by meaning
A word like « dire » (to say) or « maison » (house) has several senses. Synonyms are split into groups, with the part of speech when it is known.
Accents are optional
« ecole » finds « école » and « pecher » offers « pécher » and « pêcher ». Capital letters and apostrophes do not get in the way either.
One page per word
Each synonym leads to its own page, with its own synonyms and related words. You can also share the address of a page.
One-click copy
A button copies the chosen word, ready to paste into your text, your email or your homework.
What is a French synonym dictionary for?
A synonym is a word with a meaning close to another: « rapide » and « vif » (fast), « important » and « essentiel » (important). Learners of French look them up to avoid repeating the same word, to find a more precise, more formal or simpler term, or simply when a word is on the tip of the tongue. This free tool gathers tens of thousands of French words and their synonyms. The words you search for and the results are in French.
Why are synonyms grouped by meaning?
Two words are almost never interchangeable in every context. « Maison » means a building, but also a family or a company; « dire » is a verb, but also a noun. To avoid one long, confusing list, each page separates the senses and shows the part of speech when it is known. Read the first group, which usually holds the most common sense, then look for the one that fits your sentence. Always reread the result: a close synonym may not have the same register (everyday, formal) or the same grammar.
Synonyms of a verb, an adjective or an expression
The tool works for nouns, verbs (search the infinitive: « manger », not « mangeons »), adjectives (in the masculine singular: « beau », not « belles »), adverbs and some phrases such as « mettre à jour » or « parce que ». Many common words have their own page: « beau », « important », « problème », « permettre », « cependant »… A word missing from the dictionary shows a help page with close words, often one letter away. To put a verb in the right tense after choosing its synonym, Chatzam's French conjugation tool gives you all the forms.
Where does the data come from?
The synonyms come from the French thesaurus of Dicollecte, a free work built from research by the CRISCO laboratory at the University of Caen and released under the LGPL 2.1 or later licence. It is a reference dictionary for free spell checkers, but it is incomplete and some entries are debatable: use your own judgement, especially for important writing. It contains synonyms only, with no antonyms (opposites). Not all spellings from the 1990 reform are recognised yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the synonym of a French word?
Type the word in the search box and confirm. The synonyms appear grouped by meaning; click one to open its page, or use the copy button to take it.
Do I need to type the accents?
No. « ecole » finds « école » and « etre » finds « être ». Capital letters, hyphens and apostrophes are accepted too. If two words differ only by an accent (« pécher » and « pêcher »), they are shown on the same page.
Why is my word not found?
Search the base form: the infinitive for a verb, the masculine singular for an adjective, the singular for a noun. A rare word, a proper name, a typo or a phrase missing from the dictionary gives no result; the tool then suggests close words.
Does it also give antonyms (opposites)?
No, not for now: the dictionary used contains synonyms only. Word pages therefore show no opposites.
Is a synonym always interchangeable?
Rarely. Two synonyms can differ in register (everyday, formal, slang), in strength or in the constructions they allow. Reread your sentence with the new word and, if needed, check a definition.
Can I use it for English words or other languages?
No. This tool is a dictionary of French synonyms, made to help people learning French. The interface is translated, but the words you search for and their synonyms are always in French. The tool does not give synonyms of English words.