Provided is a word search device which has a simple structure suitable when provided to a small-size device such as an electronic dictionary and searches for the answer to a cryptic crossword. The word search device includes: a character input device (20) for inputting a clue to the cryptic crossword and the number of characters of an answer word; a word list storage unit (41) for storing a word list containing a plurality of words; a word search unit (12) for searching the word list storage unit (41) for a word that has the number of characters of the answer word contained in a character string composing the clue; a conditional word comparison unit (14) for comparing the word retrieved in the word search unit (12) with the character string composing the clue to judge whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied; and a display device (30) for displaying the word judged to satisfy the predetermined condition based on classification according to the predetermined condition.