looking

verb

present participle of look
1
as in seeming
to give the impression of being it looks like it might rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in expressing
to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) the music teacher looked her displeasure with a fierce frown

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in planning
to have in mind as a purpose or goal they were looking to make a fast buck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of looking Overcast Milan was looking even grayer than I’d have liked, but I was heartened by a gracious welcome at the Park Hyatt, tucked away on a side street of the Piazza del Duomo. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026 But looking closer, across the genome, something unusual showed up. — New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026 Iro Iro’s latest collection looked to the late 1990s and early 2000s for inspiration, though the pieces being revived here felt less like the era of elegant minimalism than its cheaper-looking aftermath. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Some wondered whether the designer spent too much time looking backward, particularly to the ’60s. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 These meticulous services have a reputation for yielding flawless-looking nails that last for weeks, converting people all over the globe. — Lucy Abbersteen, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026 The Jets are looking tood with a 3-0-1 record, including a 1-0-1 record at home. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Chicago's bullpen — one of its biggest strengths in a surprising season — is suddenly looking very tired. — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looking
  1. seeming
  2. expressing
  3. planning
  4. feeling
  5. voicing
  6. intending
  7. sounding
  8. giving
Verb
  • Revelations about similar incidents of seeming collective action by groups of agents have appeared every week since.
    — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The wait for season three will almost certainly be a bit shorter, with a return next fall seeming very plausible given the second season had an eight-month turnaround after filming wrapped.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of seeming
Verb
  • With artificial intelligence permeating nearly every aspect of life, therapists are seeing more people expressing anxiety about the technology.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 6 Oct. 2026
  • When Slowing Things Down Actually Speeds Things Up Developing and expressing transformational care takes time.
    — Michael Corvini, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of expressing
Verb
  • Prince William and Prince Harry are both reportedly planning to honor the 30th anniversary of their mother, Princess Diana’s, death.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Democrats have warned in recent months that Trump is planning to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or the National Guard to polling stations, as the president has made election security one of his key objectives in his second term.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of planning
Verb
  • Dining here is fun, fresh, plentiful, and food is cooked to perfection—but also fuel for long game drives that will keep you feeling spritely, never weighed down.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • All together, her Paris party attire nods to the past without actually feeling retro.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of feeling
Verb
  • Looking forward, Ruess says that he is moved by other artists speaking out against the war in Gaza and credits Macklemore, who was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after voicing his support of Palestinians onstage.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
  • On the same day, OpenAI released its own report about the cyberattack, voicing concern about the implications of its findings.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of voicing
Verb
  • In June 2022, a man traveled from California to Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland with a handgun, ammunition, a knife, and zip ties, intending to kill the justice.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Musk originally developed Starship for Mars, intending to launch scores of them with the red planet’s first settlers.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of intending
Verb
  • That's $700 off, making now the best time to buy better-sounding movie nights!
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The flip side, however, is that the Giants are also one loss to the Cardinals away from sounding the alarms.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of sounding
Verb
  • There, local fishermen demonstrated their sustainable crayfish harvesting process, and as a spectacular touch, the helicopter lifted one of the crayfish tanks straight out of the ocean, giving our client a dramatic view of the abundant catch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The other group is a little more spread out, giving more opportunity.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of giving

Phrases Containing looking

Browse Nearby Words

look forward to
looking
looking after
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Looking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looking. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All