look

\ ˈlu̇k

How to pronounce look (audio)

\

looked; looking; looks

Definition of look

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to make sure or take care (that something is done) censor to look that no man lived idly— Edward Gee

2 : to ascertain by the use of one's eyes look what I brought you

3a : to exercise the power of vision upon : examine

b archaic : to search for

4a : expect, anticipate we look to have a good year

b : to have in mind as an end looking to win back some lost profits

5 archaic : to bring into a place or condition by the exercise of the power of vision

6 : to express by the eyes or facial expression the friar looked his surprise— Robert Brennan

7 : to have an appearance that befits or accords with looks her age

intransitive verb

1a : to exercise the power of vision : see

b : to direct one's attention look upon the future with hope look at the map

c : to direct the eyes looked up from the newspaper

2 : to have the appearance or likelihood of being : seem it looks unlikely looks to be hard work

3 : to have a specified outlook the house looked east

4 : to gaze in wonder or surprise : stare

5 : to show a tendency the evidence looks to acquittal

look after

: to take care of looked after her sick mother

look at

1 : consider sense 1 looking at the possibility of relocating

2 : confront, face looking at a mandatory fine— Cindy Kilass

look down one's nose

: to view something with arrogance, disdain, or disapproval writers who look down their noses at popular culture

look for

1 : to await with hope or anticipation You can look for me to arrive at noon.

2 : to search for : seek looking for a new car

look forward

: to anticipate with pleasure or satisfaction looking forward to your visit

look into

: explore sense 1a Investigators are looking into the cause of the accident.

look the other way

: to direct one's attention away from something unpleasant or troublesome We can't just look the other way while these violations of human rights continue to occur.

look to

1 : to direct one's attention to looking to the future

2 : to rely upon looks to reading for relaxation

look

Definition of look (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act of looking

2a : the expression of the countenance

b : physical appearance especially : attractive physical appearance —usually used in plural

c : a combination of design features giving a unified appearance a new look in women's fashions

3 : the state or form in which something appears

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about look

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Choose the Right Synonym for look

Verb

expect, hope, look mean to await some occurrence or outcome. expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning. expects to be finished by Tuesday hope implies little certainty but suggests confidence or assurance in the possibility that what one desires or longs for will happen. hopes to find a job soon look, with to, implies assurance that expectations will be fulfilled looks to a tidy profit from the sale ; with for it implies less assurance and suggests an attitude of expectancy and watchfulness. look for rain when the wind shifts to the northeast

Examples of look in a Sentence

Verb He looked straight ahead and kept walking. When you take a walk, look around you. She smiled at me and then looked away. He looked back the way he had come. Look both ways before you cross the street. When I finally reached the top I was afraid to look down. She looked from one person to the next. They looked off into the distance. He was looking over his shoulder. Her new haircut makes her look young. Noun I don't think you left it here, but I'll take a look around for it. I took a quick look, but he wasn't there.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The investigation also looked into the ingredients or characteristics of the dogs’ diets. — Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY, "Your dog may be at risk for developing heart disease based on their food, FDA says," 28 June 2019 Reproductions of this painting show Tintoretto’s brilliant imagination at play, with Jesus at the far end, looking into the picture space, and deeply engaged in his work. — Washington Post, "Seeing Tintoretto is Venice is very nice. But so is seeing his works in a well-lit museum.," 27 June 2019 Company officials have looked into moving production to Malaysia and Thailand, but factories there couldn’t replicate their technology, said Chief Commercial Officer Robert Gaither. — Katy Stech Ferek, WSJ, "Medical-Supplies Companies Object to Proposed New Tariffs," 26 June 2019 Doubt told Smith on Wednesday, adding that investigators were looking into it. — Fox News, "Last known person texting with missing Utah student Mackenzie Lueck is cooperating with investigation: police," 26 June 2019 Wan-Bissaka's name continued to be mentioned, but in early May the player stated his commitment to the club as Premier League heavyweights began looking further into a potential deal. — SI.com, "Aaron Wan-Bissaka: A Timeline of Events This Summer as Man Utd Prepare to Announce £50m Deal," 26 June 2019 Zionsville, coming off a 6-5 season, graduates a lot at the skill positions, but sophomore running back Colin Price (533 yards) looks promising. 9. — Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star, "Thinking high school football: Top-10 area matchups of Week 1 of season," 26 June 2019 Denver Public Works is looking into the video, Kuhn said. — Andrew Kenney, The Denver Post, "“It was written for the Dulevo”: Former Denver employee says company got easy deal on street sweepers," 25 June 2019 The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles is looking into this matter. — Rick Sobey, The Mercury News, "7 motorcyclists killed: Newly hired truck driver had two DUIs, one just last month," 25 June 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Their efforts have provided an unflattering look at a system focused on winning convictions, sometimes with little apparent regard for a suspect’s actual guilt. — New York Times, "Prosecutors Usually Send People to Prison. These Are Getting Them Out.," 28 Nov. 2019 The Prep Rally crew takes a look at the state semifinal games and breaks down the area teams left in the playoffs. — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, "Six Louisville schools are playing in Friday's state semifinals. Here's what to know," 27 Nov. 2019 Scroll through for a look at the full list of speakers and visit our official website HERE for more information and to get your tickets today. — Rachaell Davis, Essence, "Queen Latifah, Jermaine Dupri, Rapsody & More Added To Lineup For ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Summit," 27 Nov. 2019 If that isn’t a match, don’t be surprised if the Razorbacks take a long look at Florida Atlantic’s Lane Kiffin, who obviously has lots of experience in the SEC and would immediately spice things up both in recruiting and on the media circuit. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "College football coaches on the move: Five questions as changes loom," 27 Nov. 2019 The weather somewhere else Take a look at a weather map before the meal starts and find somewhere that usually gets a lot of snow that is expected to get a lot of snow. — oregonlive, "7 topics that are safe to discuss at Thanksgiving dinner," 27 Nov. 2019 This week, however, Kylie gave fans a rare look at her natural hair. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kylie Jenner Showed Off Her Natural Hair in a Post-Shower Instagram Story," 27 Nov. 2019 Take look at this year’s stats: 4,327 applications came from kids in foreign countries, and out of those, only 134 got a place, that’s around a 3% chance. — Maeve Higgins, Time, ""It's Heartbreaking for Us." Syrian Students' Struggle to Study in the U.S.," 27 Nov. 2019 The pictures feature Holmes wearing a sleek black bra and blazer, and the second photo offers a clear look at her stomach. — Christina Oehler, Health.com, "Katie Holmes Posted an Unedited Photo of Her Stretch Marks on Instagram, and Fans Are Loving It," 27 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'look.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about look

Dictionary Entries near look

look a gift horse in the mouth

Statistics for look

Cite this Entry

“Look.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/looks%20forward%20to. Accessed 10 December 2019.

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More Definitions for look

look

verb

English Language Learners Definition of look

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to direct your eyes in a particular direction

: to seem to be something especially because of appearance

: to have an appearance that is suitable for (something)

look

noun

English Language Learners Definition of look (Entry 2 of 2)

: the act of looking at something

: the act of examining or considering something

: the act of trying to find something or someone

See the full definition for look in the English Language Learners Dictionary

look

\ ˈlu̇k

\

looked; looking

Kids Definition of look

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to use the power of vision : see Look before you cross.

2 : to direct the attention or eyes Look in the mirror. Look at the map.

3 : seem sense 1 That looks dangerous.

4 : to have an appearance that is suitable He looks his age.

5 : face entry 2 sense 1 The house looks east.

look after

: to take care of Look after the children.

look down on

: to regard as bad or inferior

look out

: to be careful

look up

1 : to search for in a reference book Look it up in the dictionary.

2 : to get better Your chances are looking up.

look up to

: respect entry 2 sense 1

look

Kids Definition of look (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of looking We took a look around.

2 : the expression on a person's face or in a person's eyes The child had a mischievous look.

3 looks plural : physical appearance good looks

4 : appearance that suggests what something is or means The cloth has a look of leather.

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WORD OF THE DAY

reiterate

to state or do over again or repeatedly

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