If someone directs their eyes towards something, you say that they look at it.
When look has this meaning, it must be followed by at. Don't say, for example, 'Lang looked his watch'.
Be Careful!
Don't confuse look with see or watch.
If you want to say that someone shows a particular feeling when they look at someone or something, use an adverb, not an adjective. For example, you say 'She looked sadly at her husband'. Don't say 'She looked sad at her husband'.
If you intend to use your eyes to find out if something is true, you say that you will see or look and see if it is true.
Be Careful!
Don't say that you will 'look' if something is true.
You can use see to say that you will find out about something, even if you are not talking about using your eyes. For example, you can say 'I'll see if Li is in her office', and then find out whether Li is in her office by making a phone call there.
Look can also be used to mean 'seem' or 'appear'. When you use look like this, you use an adjective after it, not an adverb. For example, you say 'She looked sad'. Don't say 'She looked sadly'.
Be Careful!
You only use look to mean 'seem' when talking about the appearance of something.
Imperative |
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look |
look |
Noun | 1. | ![]() countenance, visage - the appearance conveyed by a person's face; "a pleasant countenance"; "a stern visage" leer - a suggestive or sneering look or grin |
2. | ![]() sensing, perception - becoming aware of something via the senses scrutiny - a prolonged intense look squint - the act of squinting; looking with the eyes partly closed stare - a fixed look with eyes open wide evil eye - a look that is believed to have the power of inflicting harm rubber-necking, sightseeing - going about to look at places of interest survey, view, sight - the act of looking or seeing or observing; "he tried to get a better view of it"; "his survey of the battlefield was limited" dekko - British slang for a look | |
3. | look - physical appearance; "I don't like the looks of this place" appearance, visual aspect - outward or visible aspect of a person or thing | |
4. | ![]() ambiance, ambience, atmosphere - a particular environment or surrounding influence; "there was an atmosphere of excitement" Hollywood - a flashy vulgar tone or atmosphere believed to be characteristic of the American film industry; "some people in publishing think of theirs as a glamorous medium so they copy the glitter of Hollywood" Zeitgeist - the spirit of the time; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation | |
Verb | 1. | look - perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards; "She looked over the expanse of land"; "Look at your child!"; "Look--a deer in the backyard!" stare - fixate one's eyes; "The ancestor in the painting is staring down menacingly" get a load, have a look, take a look - look at with attention; "Have a look at this!"; "Get a load of this pretty woman!" look back, look backward - look towards one's back; "don't look back while you walk" look away - avert one's gaze; "She looked away when the nurse pricked her arm with the needle" look around - look about oneself; "look around to see whether you can find the missing document" ogle - look at with amorous intentions give the glad eye - look seductively at someone leer - look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression; "The men leered at the young women on the beach" admire - look at with admiration peep - look furtively; "He peeped at the woman through the window" glance, peek, glint - throw a glance at; take a brief look at; "She only glanced at the paper"; "I only peeked--I didn't see anything interesting" gloat - gaze at or think about something with great self-satisfaction, gratification, or joy give the eye, give the once over - look at with a critical eye; "When the movie star entered, all the women gave him the once over" squint - be cross-eyed; have a squint or strabismus peer - look searchingly; "We peered into the back of the shop to see whether a salesman was around" check, check into, check out, check over, check up on, suss out, look into, go over - examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition; "check the brakes"; "Check out the engine" retrospect, look back, review - look back upon (a period of time, sequence of events); remember; "she reviewed her achievements with pride" look up, consult, refer - seek information from; "You should consult the dictionary"; "refer to your notes" look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the missing man in the entire county" admire, look up to - feel admiration for look back, look backward - look towards one's back; "don't look back while you walk" look away - avert one's gaze; "She looked away when the nurse pricked her arm with the needle" look after - keep under careful scrutiny; "Keep an eye on this prisoner!" |
2. | ![]() make - appear to begin an activity; "He made to speak but said nothing in the end"; "She made as if to say hello to us" cut - give the appearance or impression of; "cut a nice figure" feel - produce a certain impression; "It feels nice to be home again" pass off - be accepted as something or somebody in a false character or identity; "She passed off as a Russian agent" sound - appear in a certain way; "This sounds interesting" come across - be perceived in a certain way; make a certain impression glow, radiate, beam, shine - have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink; "Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" loom - come into view indistinctly, often threateningly; "Another air plane loomed into the sky" feel - be felt or perceived in a certain way; "The ground feels shaky"; "The sheets feel soft" | |
3. | look - have a certain outward or facial expression; "How does she look?"; "The child looks unhappy"; "She looked pale after the surgery" squint - partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct blinding light; "The driver squinted as the sun hit his windshield" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | |
4. | look - search or seek; "We looked all day and finally found the child in the forest"; "Look elsewhere for the perfect gift!" hunt - search (an area) for prey; "The King used to hunt these forests" examine, see - observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect; "The customs agent examined the baggage"; "I must see your passport before you can enter the country" cruise - look for a sexual partner in a public place; "The men were cruising the park" prospect - search for something desirable; "prospect a job" | |
5. | look - be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to; "The house looks north"; "My backyard look onto the pond"; "The building faces the park" lie - be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position face - be opposite; "the facing page"; "the two sofas face each other" confront - be face to face with; "The child screamed when he confronted the man in the Halloween costume" | |
6. | ![]() minister - attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister to my mother all the time" tend - have care of or look after; "She tends to the children" | |
7. | look - convey by one's expression; "She looked her devotion to me" convey - make known; pass on, of information; "She conveyed the message to me" | |
8. | ![]() expect - look forward to the birth of a child; "She is expecting in March" anticipate, expect - regard something as probable or likely; "The meteorologists are expecting rain for tomorrow" look forward - expect or hope for; "I look to hear from you soon" look to - turn one's interests or expectations towards; "look to the future"; "this method looks to significant wavings" hold the line, hang on, hold on - hold the phone line open; "Please hang on while I get your folder" | |
9. | look - accord in appearance with; "You don't look your age!" | |
10. | look - have faith or confidence in; "you can count on me to help you any time"; "Look to your friends for support"; "You can bet on that!"; "Depend on your family in times of crisis" |