Looking for a good Brazilian Portuguese dictionary to understand words and expressions without leaning on translation? Reaching for a monolingual Portuguese dictionary instead of translating everything back to English is one of the fastest ways to level up, because it trains you to think directly in the language, and that shift makes a huge difference in how quickly things start to click.
The thing is, not all online Portuguese dictionaries are built the same. Some are too formal, others skip Brazilian Portuguese entirely, and very few show you how a word actually gets used in real life. So I put together this list of the best free Portuguese dictionaries I personally use and trust, ranked from the most complete option to the handiest brazilian portuguese slang dictionary for everyday, street-level Portuguese, so you can pick the best Portuguese dictionary online for whatever you’re working on.
List of the best Portuguese dictionaries
These are the monolingual Portuguese dictionaries I recommend most for understanding definitions, synonyms and usage examples directly in the language. At the end you’ll also find other complementary tools.
1. Dicio
The Dicio.com dictionary keeps its database updated with the definition of every word you look up, along with sample sentences, synonyms and antonyms. That makes it easier to understand and to soak up new words for your Portuguese vocabulary. It’s probably the most practical online Portuguese dictionary for day-to-day use.
The site is easy to navigate and offers other tools, like lists of words that contain “LH”, “NH” or that end in “NHO”, start with CH, and so on.
2. Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa
Michaelis is one of the most complete and reliable Brazilian Portuguese dictionaries out there. It has more than 350,000 definitions and is constantly updated with new terms coming from developments in science and technology, plus words used in the media, including regionalisms, colloquial expressions and slang. If you want a modern source with lexicographic rigor for the Portuguese that’s actually spoken in Brazil, this is an excellent option.
3. Dicionário InFormal
A top pick if you enjoy learning expressions in Portuguese. Most Brazilian songs are packed with colloquial Portuguese, and with this Brazilian Portuguese slang dictionary you can learn the different ways the same expression gets used across various contexts. It’s ideal as a companion to a formal dictionary, because it captures the slang people actually use.
4. Priberam
This dictionary has European Portuguese origins, though it also gives the meanings of words in Brazilian Portuguese. One of its perks is that it can highlight the spellings that changed under the latest orthographic agreement, which is really handy if you want to write correctly.
A good dictionary is the foundation, but these complementary tools will help you polish details a traditional dictionary doesn’t always cover: real pronunciation, synonyms, verb conjugation and word usage in context. Use them alongside the dictionaries on this list to speed up your Portuguese learning.
- FORVO — a bank of pronunciations recorded by native speakers. Perfect for hearing how a word really sounds in Brazilian Portuguese before you repeat it.
- Synonyms of words — find alternatives for the same word and avoid always repeating the same terms when you speak or write.
- Antonyms of words — the perfect complement to the previous one: it shows you the opposites and helps you expand your vocabulary by contrast.
- Verb conjugation — conjugate any verb in every tense. Really useful, since conjugation is one of the spots where “portunhol” shows up the most.
- Reverso Context — shows the word inside real sentences, so you see how it’s used in everyday situations and not just its isolated definition.
- Wikcionário — a free dictionary with definitions, etymology, conjugations and examples gathered on a single page, useful for digging into where words come from.
Dictionary or translator? They’re not the same
It’s important not to confuse a dictionary with a translator. A monolingual Portuguese dictionary gives you the definition of a word within the language itself, which helps you think in Portuguese and truly learn. A translator, on the other hand, just converts text from one language to another and can make you dependent on English. That’s why this list prioritizes dictionaries.
Even so, I know a lot of people are looking for Portuguese-English translation options. If that’s your case, tools like Linguee and DeepL can work as occasional support. I put together a complete guide covering just those options:
The best Spanish-Portuguese translators (full list)
More resources to Learn Portuguese Faster
- [PDF] Learn Brazilian Portuguese – Complete Guide and Study Path
- Brazilian Portuguese Swear Words: Meanings and When Not to Use Them
- How to Learn Brazilian Portuguese Faster (Practical Tips)
- Greetings and Farewells in Brazilian Portuguese (Formal and Informal)
- How to Speak Portuguese with Confidence in Real Conversations
- Best Brazilian Portuguese Podcasts to Improve Listening Skills
9 TIPS to avoid speaking “portunhol”
Access the full post here with all the details mentioned in the video.
The big mistake of translating
Apps to learn Portuguese while meeting people online
A dictionary helps you understand words, but you really learn the language when you use it with other people. If you want to practice Portuguese with native speakers and make friends in Brazil along the way, there are plenty of apps today that connect learners from all over the world to swap languages, chat and even video call.
These apps are the perfect complement to the dictionaries on this list: while the dictionary gives you the definition, real conversation teaches you to use each word naturally, with the rhythm and expressions people actually speak in Brazil. It’s the best way to leave “portunhol” behind and build confidence when you speak.
I gathered the best options for meeting people online and practicing languages in a complete guide, with the upsides of each app and tips to get the most out of them:
The best apps to learn Portuguese and meet people online
Frequently asked questions about Portuguese dictionaries
There isn’t a single “best” one for everything. For everyday use, Dicio is the most practical and fast. If you want rigor and a complete, up-to-date source, the Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro is one of the best options. And for colloquial expressions and slang, the Dicionário InFormal is a great complement.
Yes. Dicio, Priberam and the web version of Michaelis can all be used for free from your browser. Several of them also have an Android and iOS app, so you can look up definitions from your phone at no cost.
To really learn, a monolingual dictionary is the way to go, because it gives you the definition within Portuguese itself and gets you used to thinking in the language. A translator is useful as occasional support, but using it all the time makes you dependent on English and slows your progress.
The Dicionário InFormal is the best fit for that, since it’s a collaborative platform where users themselves record colloquial expressions. Michaelis also includes regionalisms and slang, with a more formal, edited approach.
Michaelis is a reference dictionary with lexicographic rigor and more than 350,000 definitions, ideal for serious, detailed lookups. Dicio is quicker and more visual, built for fast everyday checks. Many students use both together.
The best way is to use new words in real conversations with native speakers. There are apps to learn Portuguese and meet people online that let you chat and swap languages with Brazilians, so you lock in vocabulary naturally.
More resources to Learn Portuguese Faster
- [PDF] Learn Brazilian Portuguese – Complete Guide and Study Path
- How to Learn Brazilian Portuguese Faster (Practical Tips)
- How to Understand Spoken Portuguese More Easily
- How to Speak Portuguese with Confidence
- How to Read in Portuguese and Improve Comprehension
- How to Write in Portuguese Step by Step
- How Long Does It Take to Learn Portuguese?
