# looking

/ˈɫʊkɪŋ/ (US) · /lˈʊkɪŋ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. searching or watching

verb · CEFR A1

the action of using your eyes to find something or watch someone.

For teachers: the present participle of 'look', used in continuous tenses to denote visual search, observation, or attention.

- I am looking for my glasses because I cannot find them anywhere.
- The investigators were looking into the cause of the accident for several months before releasing their final report.

Usage: Often followed by 'for' when searching or 'at' when observing.

### 2. having an appearance

adjective · CEFR B1

used with another word to describe how someone or something looks.

For teachers: used as the second element in compound adjectives to specify a particular physical or aesthetic appearance.

- He is a very good-looking man with a kind smile.
- The strange-looking device on the table turned out to be an antique coffee grinder from the nineteenth century.

Usage: Typically follows an adverb or adjective in a hyphenated compound, such as 'healthy-looking' or 'expensive-looking'.

### 3. the act of glancing

noun · CEFR B2

the act of looking at something briefly.

For teachers: the gerundial use of the verb to denote the act of directing one's gaze or attention.

- After a quick looking over the documents, she signed her name.
- The constant looking back at past mistakes prevented the team from focusing on the current project's requirements.

Usage: Often functions as a verbal noun in formal or literary contexts.

## Examples

- The detective gave the room a careful looking over.
- After a quick looking through the files, she realized the contract was missing.
- The restoration of the painting required a close looking at the brushwork to ensure the new pigments matched the artist's original technique.

---

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.