- [countable, usually singular] an act of looking at somebody/something
- look at somebody/something Here, have a look at this.
- Take a look at these figures!
- Make sure you get a good look at their faces.
- One look at his face and Jenny stopped laughing.
- Alex and Michael exchanged looks (= they looked at each other).
- look around It's an interesting place. Do you want to take a look around?
Synonyms looklookglance ▪ gaze ▪ stare ▪ glimpse ▪ glareThese are all words for an act of looking, when you turn your eyes in a particular direction.look an act of looking at somebody/something:- Here, have a look at this.
- She stole a glance at her watch.
- She felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.
- She gave the officer a blank stare and shrugged her shoulders.
- He caught a glimpse of her in the crowd.
- She fixed her questioner with a hostile glare.
- a look/glance at somebody/something
- a penetrating/piercing look/glance/gaze/stare
- a long look/glance/stare
- a brief look/glance/glimpse
- to have/get/take a look/glance/glimpse
- to avoid somebody’s glance/gaze/stare
Extra Examples- Did you get a look at his new car?
- Have a look out of the window and see who's at the door.
- I had a brief look through the report before the meeting.
- I managed to steal a look at the exam paper.
- She chanced a look behind her.
- He couldn't resist a quick look in the mirror.
- She decided the property warranted a second look.
- He walked out of the door without a backward look.
- Take a closer look at it.
- The jury is expected to get a first-hand look at the murder scene today.
- A look passed between them (= they looked at each other).
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- little
- brief
- cursory
- …
- have
- take
- get
- …
- look at
- look in
- look into
- …
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- [countable, usually singular] an act of trying to find something/somebody
- look for something/somebody I've had a good look for it, but I can't find it.
- I had a look for websites on Egyptian music, but didn't find anything.
- look + adv./prep. I had a furtive look in her bag when her back was turned.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- little
- quick
- …
- have
- chance
- look around
- look round
- look for
- …
- [countable, usually singular] an act of examining a problem or situation carefully
- I gave the figures a quick look.
- a brief/an in-depth look
- look at something We'll be taking a close look at these proposals (= examining them carefully).
- I think it's time to take a fresh look at our sales techniques.
- You should take a long, hard look at your reasons for wanting to join the army.
- look towards something The book concludes with a look towards the future.
Extra Examples- I think this could do with another look, don't you?
- These tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the TV show.
- The documentary provides an inside look at life in the army.
- The book takes a humorous look at parenthood.
- Tonight, a revealing look at the King of Pop's thrilling rise to stardom.
- [countable] an expression in your eyes or face
- He didn't like the look in her eyes.
- She had a worried look on her face.
- He gave me a funny look.
- I got a black look from Amy.
- look of something a look of disgust/horror/shock/surprise
Extra Examples- A doubtful look crossed his face.
- We got a number of curious looks from passers-by.
- There were a lot of knowing looks in the audience.
- He caught her look, and shrugged.
- She darted him a look of contempt.
- He opened the door with a scornful look on his face.
- A panicked look crossed her face.
- His comment was greeted by a puzzled look.
- I was given a stern look by a plainclothes policeman.
- My relatives gave me quizzical looks when I told them the news.
- Sara returned his look with one of her own.
- He had a puzzled look in his eyes.
- She threw him an angry look.
- Take that smug look off your face!
- The guilty look on her face told us all we needed to know.
- The man had a wild look in his eyes.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- angry
- black
- dark
- …
- have
- cast (somebody)
- dart (somebody)
- …
- look from
- look of
- a… look in somebody’s eyes
- a… look on somebody’s face
- take that look off your face
- …
- [countable] the way somebody/something looks; the appearance of somebody/something
- Looks can be deceptive.
- a fabric with the look of silk
- Use high-quality paper to give your CV a more professional look.
- I don't like the look of that guy (= I don't trust him, judging by his appearance).
- by/from the look(s) of something/somebody It's going to rain today by the look of it (= judging by appearances).
- From the looks of things, he was not at all happy.
Extra Examples- He still had a youthful look about him.
- I didn't like the look of the salad so I didn't touch it.
- Joe isn't getting much sleep from the look of him.
- We used a computer to help us achieve this three-dimensional look.
- By the looks of it, someone's already staying in this room.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- overall
- finished
- professional
- …
- have
- like
- achieve
- …
- by the look of somebody/something
- from the look of somebody/something
- look about
- …
- looks[plural] a person’s appearance, especially when the person is attractive
- She has her father's good looks.
- He lost his looks (= became less attractive) in later life.
Extra Examples- All the men sport rock star looks.
- his clean-cut, boyish good looks
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- striking
- classic
- …
- have
- lose
- [singular] a fashion; a style
- They've given the place a completely new look.
- Wear the top with jeans for a more casual look.
Extra Examples- She wanted a modern clean look for the apartment.
- You can complete that sophisticated look with make-up and accessories.
- In this issue we show you how to create a signature look for yourself.
- The classic look never goes out of fashion.
- The finished look is perfect for any special party.
- She said she was aiming for a more sophisticated look.
- The products have a distinctive look.
- We show you how to get the look you want.
- The punk look is back in fashion.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- latest
- new
- casual
- …
- have
- sport
- wear
- …
- be back in
- be back in fashion
- come back in
- …
using eyes
search
examine a problem/situation
expression
appearance
fashion
Word OriginOld English lōcian (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to German dialect lugen.
Idioms
See look in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee look in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishgive/shoot somebody a dirty look
- (informal) to look at somebody in a way that shows you are annoyed with them
if looks could kill…
- used to describe the very angry or unpleasant way somebody is/was looking at you
- If looks could kill, she thought, seeing the expression that came over his face when he saw her, she’d be dead on the pavement.
- I don’t know what I’ve done to upset him, but if looks could kill…
take a long (cool/hard) look at something
- to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying
- We need to take a long, hard look at all the options.
Check pronunciation:
look