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Definition of look verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

look

verb
 OPAL S
 
/lʊk/
 
/lʊk/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they look
 
/lʊk/
 
/lʊk/
he / she / it looks
 
/lʊks/
 
/lʊks/
past simple looked
 
/lʊkt/
 
/lʊkt/
past participle looked
 
/lʊkt/
 
/lʊkt/
-ing form looking
 
/ˈlʊkɪŋ/
 
/ˈlʊkɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
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    use eyes

  1.  
     [intransitive] to turn your eyes in a particular direction
    • Look closely and tell me what you see.
    • If you look carefully you can just see our house from here.
    • ‘Has the mail come yet?’ ‘I'll look and see.’
    • Look! I'm sure that's Jennifer Lawrence!
    • Don't look now, but there's someone staring at you!
    • look at somebody/something She looked at me and smiled.
    • look + adv./prep. I got up and looked out of the window.
    • She looked across to the other side of the room.
    Synonyms looklookwatch ▪ see ▪ view ▪ observeThese words all mean to turn your eyes in a particular direction.look to turn your eyes in a particular direction:
    • If you look carefully you can just see our house from here.
    • She looked at me and smiled.
    watch to look at somebody/​something for a time, paying attention to what happens:
    • to watch television
    • Watch what I do, then you try.
    see to watch a game, television programme, performance, etc.:
    • In the evening we went to see a movie.
    view (formal) to look at something, especially when you look carefully; to watch television, a film, etc.:
    • People came from all over the world to view her work.
     watch, see or view?You can see/​view a film/​programme but you cannot: see/​view television. View is more formal than see and is used especially in business contexts.observe (formal) to watch somebody/​something carefully, especially to learn more about them or it:
    • The patients were observed over a period of several months.
    Patterns
    • to look/​watch for somebody/​something
    • to watch/​observe what/​who/​how…
    • to look/​watch/​view/​observe (somebody/​something) with amazement/​surprise/​disapproval, etc.
    • to watch/​see/​view a film/​show/​programme
    • to watch/​see a match/​game/​fight
    • to look (at somebody/​something)/watch (somebody/​something)/observe somebody/​something carefully/​closely
    see also forward-looking
    Extra Examples
    • ‘It's beautiful!’ ‘Oh! Let me look!’
    • He was looking down the road to see if the bus was coming.
    • She looked over to where the others were chatting.
    • He looked longingly at the food on the table.
    • She looked towards the door.
    • He turned to look as she came down the stairs.
    • She was looking studiously down to avoid meeting his eyes.
    • What are you looking at?
    • I looked in the mirror to see if my tie was straight.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • carefully
    • closely
    • briefly
    • …
    verb + look
    • turn to
    • let somebody
    preposition
    • at
    • towards/​toward
    phrases
    • look and see
    See full entry
    2.

    search

  2.  
     [intransitive] to try to find somebody/something
    • look for somebody/something Where have you been? We've been looking for you.
    • Are you still looking for a job?
    • We’re looking for someone with experience for this post.
    • They are always looking for ways to save money.
    • look + adv./prep. I can't find my book—I've looked everywhere.
    Extra Examples
    • He inspected the room, looking for any possible clues.
    • I was just about to come looking for you.
    • I'm looking for an apartment on the east side of the city.
    • I've spent my whole life looking for an answer to that question!
    • Look carefully for signs of damp.
    3.

    pay attention

  3.  
     [intransitive, transitive] to pay attention to something
    • look at something Look at the time! We're going to be late.
    • look where, what, etc… Can't you look where you're going?
    4.

    appear/seem

  4.  
     linking verb to seem; to appear
    • How do I look?
    • + adj. You look great!
    • The garden looks nice.
    • Don't worry—it looks worse than it is.
    • The film looks likely to offend many people.
    • That book looks interesting.
    • look like somebody/something That looks like an interesting book.
    • look like somebody/something to somebody It doesn't look like fun to me.
    • + noun You made me look a complete fool!
    • That looks an interesting book.
    Extra Examples
    • to look pale/​tired/​happy
    • The four-time champion looked a shadow of her former self.
    see also good-looking
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + look
    • make somebody/​something
    preposition
    • like
    • to
    phrases
    • look as if
    • look as though
    See full entry
  5.  
     [intransitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to have a particular appearance
    • look like somebody/something That photograph doesn't look like her at all.
    • ‘What does your cousin look like?’ ‘He's tall and thin with brown hair.’
    • look as if…/as though… You look as though you slept badly.
    In spoken English people often use like instead of as if or as though in this meaning, especially in North American English: You look like you slept badly. This is quite informal and not always considered correct in written British English.
    Extra Examples
    • an animal that looked like a large hedgehog
    • She looks very like her sister.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + look
    • make somebody/​something
    preposition
    • like
    • to
    phrases
    • look as if
    • look as though
    See full entry
  6.  
     [intransitive] to seem likely to happen or be true
    • It looks like rain (= it looks as if it's going to rain).
    • look as if…/as though… It doesn't look as if we'll be moving after all.
    • look to somebody as if…/as though… It looks to me as though the company is in real trouble.
    • look like… (informal) They don’t look like they’re trying to win.
    • look to somebody like… (informal) It looks to me like they have a plan.
    This use of like instead of as if or as though is quite informal and is not always considered correct in written British English.
    Extra Examples
    • It looks to me as though we may be in for another cliff-hanger.
    • It looks to me as if the whole US press missed the story.
    • It doesn't look like we'll be moving after all.
    Topics Doubt, guessing and certaintyb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + look
    • make somebody/​something
    preposition
    • like
    • to
    phrases
    • look as if
    • look as though
    See full entry
    7.

    face

  7. [intransitive] + adv./prep. to face a particular direction
    • The house looks east.
    • The hotel looks out over the harbour.
    • The kitchen looks onto the garden.
    8. Word OriginOld English lōcian (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to German dialect lugen.
Idioms Most idioms containing look are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example look daggers at somebody is at dagger. 
be just looking
  1. used in a shop to say that you are not ready to buy something
    • ‘Can I help you?’ ‘I'm just looking, thank you.’
be looking to do something
  1. to try to find ways of doing something
    • The government is looking to reduce inflation.
look bad | not look good
  1. to be considered bad behaviour or bad manners
    • It looks bad not going to your own brother's wedding.
look bad (for somebody)
  1. to show that something bad might happen
    • He's had another heart attack; things are looking bad for him, I'm afraid.
look good
  1. to show success or that something good might happen
    • This year's sales figures are looking good.
    Topics Successc2
look here
  1. (old-fashioned) used to protest about something
    • Now look here, it wasn't my fault.
look how/what/who…
  1. used to give an example that proves what you are saying or makes it clearer
    • Look how lazy we've become.
    • Be careful climbing that ladder. Look what happened last time.
look no further
  1. used to say that something is exactly what somebody needs and so they do not need to consider any other options
    • Those looking for an enjoyable evening need look no further than the hotel's nightclub.
look somebody up and down
  1. to look at somebody in a careful or critical way
(not) look yourself
  1. to (not) have your normal healthy appearance
    • You're not looking yourself today (= you look tired or ill/sick).
never/not look back
  1. (informal) to become more and more successful
    • Her first novel was published in 2007 and since then she hasn't looked back.
    Topics Successc2
not much to look at
  1. (informal) not attractive
to look at somebody/something
  1. judging by the appearance of somebody/something
    • To look at him you'd never think he was nearly fifty.
See look in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee look in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: look

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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