The Obsidian Dictionary Plugin

Hello there!

I am phibr0, creator of the Obsidian Dictionary Plugin.

This Plugin has 3 main Features:

  • Full Dictionary Lookup
    • including Pronunciation, Definitions, Examples and Synonyms for multiple Forms
  • In Editor Synonym Look Up by simply highlighting a word (Thanks to mgmeyers)
  • Setting up a local Dictionary to link with other Notes

Supported Languages:

Language Synonym Popover Sidebar Lookup UI Translated?
English (US) 🗸 🗸 🗸
English (UK) 🗸
Hindi 🗸
Spanish 🗸 🗸
French 🗸 🗸
Japanese 🗸
Russian 🗸
German 🗸 🗸 🗸
Italian 🗸 🗸
Korean 🗸
Brazilian Portuguese 🗸
Arabic 🗸
Turkish 🗸
Chinese 🗸

For Developers:

  • The Plugin can be easily extended with new API’s for Definitions and Synonyms (more Info: look at the Readme on Github)
  • Translations can be easily added
26 Likes

This plugin is really well done and deserves much more attention! I only stumbled upon it because @EleanorKonik mentioned it in one of her roundups.

What I especially like is

  • easy way to switch languages (I work mostly in English and German)
  • great support for different dictionary providers
  • synonyms upon highlighting
  • lookup in the context menu for highlighted text
  • no problems when working offline (it will simply not work, but break nothing)
5 Likes

The plugin is amazing. Thanks for having created it.
When I try to add a new note of a phrasal verb (for example " get on"), it wouldn’t work whereas it works perfectly for one-words words. Is there a workaround for that?


Thanks

2 Likes

Good catch! Can repro here (Linux, Obs 0.12.12, Dictionary 2.13.2).

This is great. I noticed there is an Origin section in the Look Up pane but that doesn’t seem to be a variable that you can include in new notes created by the plugin. Is that true or am I overlooking something? Thanks.

This is very cool - thanks for creating it! Would it be possible to add the ability to use a local copy of the 1913 Webster’s Dictionary (available here https://s3.amazonaws.com/jsomers/dictionary.zip )? I was inspired by this article (You’re probably using the wrong dictionary) to check that dictionary for nuanced use of language. I would LOVE to be able to do the sidebar lookup against that dictionary through your plugin.

Again - thanks for creating this - it’s very cool

2 Likes

Is this plugin able to lookup definitions from Local Dictionary Builder?
I’ve added a couple of notes with discipline-specific definitions into the Local Dictionary Folder, yet the plugin produces nothing on them through lookup

Hi,
Thank you very much for this great plugin!!! :slight_smile:

I have some remarks to possibly enhance the user-experience. I want to explain it in the following example:

I want to look up the word “arcane”. So I double-click it, then I right-click it, to see the context menu:
image

Then I click on “Look up” in the context-menu:
image

Then I see on the right side the dictionary-pane und click on the triangle before “ADJ-GRADED”, to unfold and see the definition:
image

=> so I have to make 4 clicks and moving the mouse around, to get the result, what is somehow not enough user-friendly for me, yet.

My proposal:

  • would it be possible unfold the Meanings immediately and not just after clicking to unfold it?
  • would it be possible to create a keyboard-shortcut, which opens the dictionary-pane?
1 Like

Hello,
Sorry to bother you but after several tries I still don’t understand how to create my own dictionary through the plugin. If anyone can help me with screenshots if possible.

Thanks.

I too am interested. Please expand this topic @phibr0

1 Like

I found the plugin has not been updated for several years, the Google API is no longer valid, and can you allow users to add their own APIs, such as Merriam Webster Dictionary, thank you, I see that you did not reply to the questions on github, so I came here to find you!

2 Likes

Abandonware and Bitrot :smiley:

Too bad, it looked very good

Sehlhorst: Three best wishes unto YOU all: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Here it is, friend. CursorAI and I worked together to curate the dictionary you shared so it renders properly in Obsidian. I truly appreciate you sharing this resource; both the dictionary and the link to the article (You’re probably using the wrong dictionary) were incredibly helpful. I’m from Mexico and enjoy reading in both languages, and this dictionary offered such a refreshing perspective on word definitions. Modern dictionaries often make it feel like society has diluted our humanity too much—we’ve lost the graceful sufficiency in things. Instead, they now exist in extremes, and extremes can be as sharp as a razor’s edge.

I uploaded to archive: 1913 Webster’s Dictionary for Obsidian (offlineDictionary.json) instructions are included.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all. Amen.