# look

/ˈɫʊk/ (US) · /lˈʊk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/look
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to use your eyes

verb · CEFR A1

to turn your eyes toward something so that you can see it.

For teachers: to direct one's gaze in a particular direction. Intransitive; typically requires the preposition 'at' to take an object.

- Look at the map to see where the museum is located.
- If you look closely at the brushwork, you can see the artist's signature hidden in the shadows of the lower-left corner.

### 2. to appear or seem

verb · CEFR A1

to have a particular appearance or give a certain impression.

For teachers: to have a specified appearance; functions as a copular verb followed by an adjective or 'like' + noun.

- You look tired today; did you get enough sleep last night?
- The old manor house looks quite imposing in the moonlight, though it is actually much smaller than the photographs suggest.

### 3. to search

verb · CEFR A2

to try to find something or someone.

For teachers: to search for something. Intransitive; almost always used with the preposition 'for'.

- I am looking for my keys; have you seen them anywhere?
- The investigators spent several hours looking for evidence in the garden, but the heavy rain had washed away any potential footprints.

### 4. an act of seeing

noun · CEFR A2

the act of using your eyes to check or examine something.

For teachers: an instance of directing one's gaze; a brief examination or inspection.

- Let me have a look at your phone to see if I can fix the problem.
- After a quick look at the financial reports, the manager decided to postpone the expansion until the following quarter.

### 5. physical appearance

noun · CEFR B1

the way someone or something looks, especially their style or beauty.

For teachers: the appearance or style of a person or thing. Often used in the plural to refer to physical attractiveness.

- She has a very modern look with her short hair and bright clothes.
- The actor relied on his good looks early in his career, but he eventually proved his talent through more demanding dramatic roles.

### 6. pay attention

interjection · CEFR B1 · Informal

a word used to make someone listen to what you are saying.

For teachers: used to call attention to what the speaker is about to say, often to express a point clearly or firmly.

- Look, I don't want to argue, but we need to make a decision now.
- Look, if we don't address the budget deficit this month, we won't be able to afford the new equipment in January.

## Examples

- I really like the modern look of your new kitchen.
- The designer is trying to create a classic look for the new autumn clothing collection.
- The architect managed to preserve the building's historical look while incorporating sustainable materials and modern energy systems into the interior design.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.