lookverb
uk/lʊk/us/lʊk/look verb (SEE)
A1 [ I ] to direct your eyes in order to see:
Look! There's grandma.
They looked at the picture and laughed.
Look at all these toys on the floor.
She looked up from her book and smiled at me.
I looked out (of) the window.
Look over there - there's a rainbow!
More examples
- She heard a sudden noise behind her, and swung round to look behind her.
- I wish you'd look at me when I'm trying to speak to you!
- Be careful to look both ways when you cross the road.
- She ambled down the street, stopping occasionally to look in the shop windows.
- He slid the letter into his pocket while no one was looking.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Using the eyes
- before your very eyes idiom
- beheld
- bore
- breathe
- come to sb's attention/notice idiom
- dart
- eye
- feast
- gawk
- get a load of that! idiom
- get him, her, you, etc.! idiom
- keep tabs on sth/sb idiom
- look-see
- observational
- out of/from the corner of your eye idiom
- passer-by
- saw
- sneak
- squint
- visual
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look verb (SEARCH)
A1 [ I ] to try to find something or someone:
I'm looking for my keys.
I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find my glasses.
Have you looked in the dictionary?
I looked down the list but couldn't see his name.
More examples
- She turned the vase over to look for the price.
- You'd have found it if you'd bothered to look.
- I bent down to look under the bed.
- She ran her finger down the list, looking for her name.
- There's that book you were looking for.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Searching
- a needle in a haystack idiom
- beachcomber
- bounty hunter
- burrow
- cast around
- dig
- drag
- nose
- once-over
- pick
- pick through sth
- poke
- poke around
- seek
- shake
- strip search
- turn a place inside out idiom
- turn sth upside down idiom
- wanted
- wild-goose chase
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look verb (SEEM)
A2 [ L, I usually + adv/prep ] to appear or seem:
You look well!
The roads look very icy.
That dress looks nice on you.
He has started to look his age (= appear as old as he really is).
It's looking good (= things are going well).
He looked (like) a friendly sort of person.
The twins look just like their mother.
She looked as if/though she hadn't slept all night.
It looks like rain (= as if it is going to rain).
More examples
- You look thoughtful.
- You look lovely with your hair up.
- The walls look a bit bare - can't we put some pictures up?
- Those gloves look nice and warm.
- When she came home from school she really didn't look well.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Seeming and purporting to be
- apparent
- appear
- as if/though idiom
- by the look(s) of things idiom
- come across
- come over
- face
- ostensible
- outward
- paper
- persona
- prima facie
- putative
- so-called
- sound
- superficial
- supposed
- supposedly
- verisimilitude
- you can't judge a book by its cover idiom
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look verb (DIRECTION)
B2 [ I usually + adv/prep ] to face a particular direction:
The garden looks south.
This window looks out onto the lake.
More examples
- The window looks onto the road.
- The room looks North.
- The meadow looks east.
- All the statues look towards the fountain.
- The drawing room looks south.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Geography: scenery & views
- -scape
- a bird's eye view idiom
- backdrop
- background
- bird
- command
- commanding
- foreground
- grandstand
- lookout
- outlook
- overlook
- panorama
- prospect
- scene
- scenic
- skyline
- the middle distance
- view
- vista
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look verb (WARNING)
[ I ] used when you are telling someone to be careful or to pay attention:
[ + question word ] Look where you're going!
Look at the time - we're late!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Paying attention and being careful
- attention
- attention span
- be good, and if you can't be good, be careful idiom
- be on (your) guard idiom
- cautious
- centre
- eye
- focus
- handle/treat sb with kid gloves idiom
- hang
- hang on/upon sth
- have a care idiom
- have/keep your ear to the ground idiom
- middle
- take note of sth idiom
- the/a glare of sth idiom
- tread carefully/gently/lightly idiom
- walk
- walk on eggs/eggshells idiom
- zoom
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look verb (HOPE)
be looking to do sth
C2 to be planning to do something:
I'm looking to start my own business.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Planning, expecting and arranging
- accidentally
- accidentally on purpose idiom
- advertent
- advisedly
- aim
- aim at sth
- calculate
- engineer
- I might have known idiom
- in the pipeline idiom
- intend
- intent
- intention
- outlook
- promise
- reckon on sth
- scheme
- scientific
- see sth coming idiom
- set sth up
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Idiom(s)
be looking for trouble
be not much to look at
I'm just looking
look daggers at sb
look kindly on sb/sth
look lively/sharp!
look on the bright side
look sb in the eye/face
look out for number one
look straight/right through sb
look to your laurels
make sb look small
never look a gift horse in the mouth
never look back
Phrasal verb(s)
look after sb/sth
look ahead
look around (somewhere/sth)
look at sth
look back
look down on sb
look forward to sth
look in
look into sth
look on
look on/upon sb/sth as sth
look out
look sth out
look out for sb/sth
look over sth
look round (somewhere/sth)
look through sth
look to sb to do sth
look to sb for sth
look up
look sth up
look sb up
look up to sb
looknoun
uk/lʊk/us/lʊk/look noun (WITH EYES)
B1 [ C ] the act of looking at someone or something:
She gave him a look of real dislike.
Take a (good) look at this picture and see if you recognize anyone.
Can I have a look at your dictionary?
More examples
- I had a brief look at her report before the meeting.
- She cast a quick look in the rear mirror.
- Bring your baby to the clinic and we'll take a look at her.
- May I have a look at your newspaper?" "Of course you can."
- I took one look at her and burst out laughing.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Using the eyes
- before your very eyes idiom
- beheld
- bore
- breathe
- come to sb's attention/notice idiom
- dart
- eye
- feast
- gawk
- get a load of that! idiom
- get him, her, you, etc.! idiom
- keep tabs on sth/sb idiom
- look-see
- observational
- out of/from the corner of your eye idiom
- passer-by
- saw
- sneak
- squint
- visual
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look noun (SEARCH)
B1 [ C usually singular ] the act of trying to find someone or something:
I had another look for the watch, but couldn't find it.
More examples
- I had a look for the book.
- Have a good look in the cupboard.
- You've got nits? Let's have a look.
- I can have a look for the papers for you.
- We'll need to have a good look round before we leave.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Searching
- a needle in a haystack idiom
- beachcomber
- bounty hunter
- burrow
- cast around
- dig
- drag
- nose
- once-over
- pick
- pick through sth
- poke
- poke around
- seek
- shake
- strip search
- turn a place inside out idiom
- turn sth upside down idiom
- wanted
- wild-goose chase
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look noun (APPEARANCE)
B2 [ C ] an expression on someone's face:
She had a worried look about her.
She gave me a questioning look.
C1 [ C ] a style or fashion:
The look this year will be relaxed and casual.
the look of sb/sth
B2 the appearance of someone or something:
They liked the look of the hotel, but it was too expensive.
I don't like the look of that fence (= it appears to have something wrong with it).
sb's looks
C2 a person's appearance, especially how attractive they are:
I like her looks.
Her looks improved as she grew older.
He put on weight and started to lose his looks.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
The head & face
- -cheeked
- -chinned
- -faced
- chin
- countenance
- dimple
- facial
- facies
- frontalis
- hairline
- mandible
- mug
- nape
- nose
- nucha
- nuchal
- pes anserinus
- splenius
- temple
- temporal
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Fashion
Conditions and characteristics
Personal care - general words
Idiom(s)
by the look(s) of things
if looks could kill...
lookexclamation
uk/lʊk/us/lʊk/used to express anger:
Look, I've already told you it's not possible.
old-fashioned Look here, I've had enough of this.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Linguistics: interjections
- (well) what do you know! idiom
- aiyo
- alas
- aw shucks
- awesomesauce
- bam
- bless
- boo
- charming
- good show idiom
- goodness
- heck
- hot dog! idiom
- talk
- use your loaf idiom
- voilà
- wake up! idiom
- watch out
- what an idea! idiom
- yes
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