Word definition: look

Etimology


From Middle English loken, lokien, from Old English lōcian, from Proto-West Germanic *lōkōn. Further origin unknown, no certain cognates outside Germanic. The English word, however, is cognate with Scots luke, luik, leuk (“to look, see”), West Frisian lôkje, loaitsje (“to look”), Dutch loeken (“to look”), German Low German löken, Alemannic German luege (“to look”), German lugen (“to look”), Yiddish לוגן (lugn). Possibly related to Sanskrit लोक् (lok, “to see, behold”) (from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“light”) in the sense of "illuminating" (cf. related word रुच् (ruc) "to shine, illuminate")).

verb


look (third-person singular simple present looks, present participle looking, simple past and past participle looked)

To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.

To appear, to seem.

(copulative) To give an appearance of being.

(intransitive, often with "for") To search for, to try to find.

To face or present a view.

To expect or anticipate.

(transitive) To express or manifest by a look.

(transitive, often with "to") To make sure of, to see to.

(dated, sometimes figurative) To show oneself in looking.

(transitive, archaic or dialectal) To check, to make sure (of something).

(transitive, obsolete) To look at; to turn the eyes toward.

(transitive, obsolete) To seek; to search for.

(transitive, obsolete) To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence.

(baseball) To look at a pitch as a batter without swinging at it.

Examples


Synonyms: see Thesaurus:look

Troponyms: glance; see also Thesaurus:stare

They kept looking at me.

Don’t look in the closet.

Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. […] She looked around expectantly, and recognizing Mrs. Cooke's maid […] Miss Thorn greeted her with a smile which greatly prepossessed us in her favor.

He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.

Timothy Leary's dead. No, no no no, he's outside, looking in.

Look how they massacred my boy.

Look what you did to him!

Look who's back!

It looks as if it’s going to rain soon.

Our new boss looks to be a lot more friendly.

THERE is a pleaſure in owning obligations which it is a pleaſure to have received; but ſhould I publiſh any favours done me by your Lordſhip, I am afraid it would look more like vanity, than gratitude.

So this was my future home, I thought! […] Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.

Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety.  She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.

Chelsea's youngsters, who looked lively throughout, then combined for the second goal in the seventh minute. Romeu's shot was saved by Wolves goalkeeper Dorus De Vries but Piazon kept the ball alive and turned it back for an unmarked Bertrand to blast home.

That painting looks nice.

Once, slipping the money clandestinely, just in the act of taking leave, he slipt it not into her hand but on the floor, and another had it; whereupon the poor Monk, coming to know it, looked mere despair for some days […].

The hotel looks over the valleys of the HinduKush.

Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD's house, which looketh eastward:

Wornath-Mavai lieth in a valley and looketh towards the south, and on the slopes of it Sish rested among the flowers when Sish was young.

I look to each hour for my lover’s arrival.

"Ain't gone be no Rikers Island for you next time," I warned him. "You get tapped on another gun charge and you looking at some upstate time."Looking each Hour into Death's Mouth to fall,

Gloster, what ere we like,thou art Protector,And lookest to command the Prince and Realme.

Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again,

"Look to it yourself, father," answered Telemachus, "for they say you are the wisest counsellor in the world, and that there is no other mortal man who can compare with you. […]

Look out of the window [i.e. lean out] while I speak to you.

I have […] more feet than shoes, or such shoes as my toes look through the overleather.

Finding it was like to overblow, we took in our Sprit-ſail, and ſtood by to hand the Fore-ſail; but making foul Weather, we look'd the Guns were all faſt, and handed the Miſſen.

Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. […] She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now, […].

Looking my love, I go from place to place, Like a young fawn that late hath lost the hind; And seek each where, where last I saw her face, Whose image yet I carry fresh in mind.

to look down opposition

A Spirit fit to start into an Empire, And look the World to Law.

Ovid might have evaded her entreaties by means of an excuse. But her eyes were irresistible: they looked him into submission in an instant.

The fastball caught him looking.

Clem Labine struck Mays out looking at his last at bat.

It's unusual for Mays to strike out looking. He usually takes a cut at it.

interjection


look

Pay attention.

Examples


Look, I'm going to explain what to do, so you have to listen closely.

Related words


synonyms

hey

listen

listen up

look at me

so

well

noun


look (plural looks)

The action of looking; an attempt to see.

(often plural) Physical appearance, visual impression.

A facial expression.

Examples


Let’s have a look under the hood of the car.

She got her mother’s looks.

I don’t like the look of the new design.

He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance. […] But she said she must go back, and when they joined the crowd again her partner was haled off with a frightened look to the royal circle, […]

He gave me a dirty look.

If looks could kill ...

Data provided by Wiktionary