How to Drag Long Text and Prevent the Dictionary from Popping Up While Scrolling on Mac

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Here is the guide on how to drag long text and disable the automatic dictionary lookup on a Mac, written in clear and concise English.

1. How to Drag Long Text on Mac (3 Effective Ways)

Dragging long paragraphs using only a trackpad can be tricky when you run out of physical space. Use these methods instead:

① The “Shift-Click” Method (Most Reliable)

This is the best way to select massive amounts of text across multiple pages.

  1. Click once at the start of the text you want to select.
  2. Scroll down to the end of the desired section (using the scroll wheel or two-finger swipe).
  3. Hold the Shift key and click at the end of the text. Everything in between will be highlighted instantly.

② Enable “Three-Finger Drag”

This is a “hidden” accessibility feature that lets you move windows and select text just by touching the trackpad with three fingers—no deep clicking required.

  • How to enable: Go to System Settings → Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options.
  • Toggle on “Use trackpad for dragging” and select “Three Finger Drag” from the dropdown menu.

③ Use Select All

If you need the entire document, don’t drag at all. Simply press Command (⌘) + A.

2. How to Stop the Dictionary (Look Up) from Popping Up

If a dictionary definition window keeps appearing while you are scrolling or clicking, it’s usually because of the “Look Up” shortcut.

How to Disable or Change the Shortcut

  1. Open System Settings.
  2. Navigate to Trackpad in the sidebar.
  3. Select the Point & Click tab.
  4. Find the Look up & data detectors option.
    • To turn it off completely: Uncheck the box.
    • To change the trigger: If it is set to “Force Click with one finger,” you might be pressing too hard while scrolling. Change it to “Tap with three fingers” (or vice versa) so it doesn’t trigger accidentally.

💡 Quick Summary

  • For Long Text: Click the start → Scroll → Shift + Click the end.
  • For Comfort: Enable Three-Finger Drag in Accessibility settings.
  • For Focus: Turn off “Look up & data detectors” in Trackpad settings to stop accidental pop-ups.