Phrasal verb
look like sb/sth
Definition
phrasal verb. To have the same face or appearance as someone or something else.
phrasal verb. A transitive prepositional verb meaning to resemble someone or something in physical appearance.
Examples
“You look like your mother.”
“That cloud looks like a dragon if you look at it for a while.”
“From a distance, the ancient, weathered rock formation looked like a sleeping giant guarding the entrance to the valley.”
Examples
simple
“You look like your mother.”
contextual
“That cloud looks like a dragon if you look at it for a while.”
complex
“From a distance, the ancient, weathered rock formation looked like a sleeping giant guarding the entrance to the valley.”
Usage
Used to compare the physical appearance of two people or things.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'be like', which describes personality or character, not physical appearance (e.g., 'He is like his father' means they have similar personalities).
Pitfall
She looks as her sister.
She looks like her sister.
Use the preposition 'like', not 'as', when comparing physical appearance with this verb.
Phrasal verb
Particles
like
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
look + like + object