ENGLISH
REFERENCE

looked

v. · adj.
US //ˈɫʊkt// UK //lˈʊkt// looked
  1. 1 used your eyes (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to have used your eyes to see or find something in the past.

    the past tense of 'look' in the sense of directing one's gaze toward someone or something.

    Example

    He looked out the window and saw that it was starting to snow.

    Example

    The detective looked carefully at the fingerprints on the glass, hoping to find a match before the suspect fled the city.

    Usage

    Requires the preposition 'at' when followed by a direct object of sight.
    Pitfall
    She looked the painting for a long time.
    She looked at the painting for a long time.

    When you direct your eyes toward an object, you must use the preposition 'at'.

  2. 2 appeared to be (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to have had a certain appearance or mood in the past.

    the past tense of the linking verb 'look', used to describe a past state or appearance.

    Example

    The cake looked delicious, so I decided to buy a piece.

    Example

    The candidate looked confident during the debate, though her internal polling suggested the race was still remarkably tight.

    Usage

    Functions as a linking verb followed by an adjective.
  3. 3 having a specific appearance (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    having a particular look, usually used with another word like 'good' or 'sad'.

    used in compound adjectives to describe a specific physical or stylistic appearance.

    Example

    He was a sad-looked man who rarely smiled at his neighbours.

    Example

    The rough-looked exterior of the building hid a surprisingly modern and luxurious interior design.

    Usage

    Almost exclusively used in hyphenated compound adjectives like 'good-looked' or 'strange-looked'.

Last updated June 19, 2026