Look — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈlu̇k/

Meaning & Definition of Look

Look (verb)

  1. to make sure or take care (that something is done)
  2. to ascertain by the use of one's eyes
  3. to exercise the power of vision upon, examine

Look (noun)

  1. the act of looking
  2. glance
  3. the expression of the countenance

Look (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give the impression of being

    "it looks like it might rain"

    similar: act, appear, come across (as), come off (as), feel, make, seem, sound
    related: dissemble, pretend, recall, resemble, suggest, hint, imply, insinuate

  2. to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion)

    "the music teacher looked her displeasure with a fierce frown"

    similar: air, expound, express, give, raise, sound, state, vent, ventilate, voice, give air to, put forth
    related: advertise, announce, declare, enounce, enunciate, proclaim, say, broadcast, circulate, disseminate, publish, describe, write, write up, sound off, speak out, speak up, chime in, communicate, convey, put across, put over, offer, submit
    opposite: stifle, suppress
    near: censor, restrain, restrict

  3. to have in mind as a purpose or goal

    "they were looking to make a fast buck"

    similar: aim, allow (chiefly Southern & Midland), aspire, calculate, contemplate, design, go (chiefly Southern & Midland), intend, mean, meditate, plan, propose, purport, purpose, figure on
    related: dream, hope, wish, consider, debate, mull (over), ponder, attempt, endeavor, strive, struggle, try, plot, scheme, accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, perform

Look (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling

    "you should have seen the look on your face when we yelled Surprise!"

    similar: cast, countenance, expression, face, visage
    related: frown, grimace, lower, mouth, pout, scowl, grin, smile, air, appearance, aspect, bearing, demeanor, manner, mien, presence

  2. an instance of looking especially briefly

    "she gave the junk mail a quick look before throwing it in the wastebasket"

    similar: cast, eye, gander, glance, glimpse, peek, peep, regard, sight, view
    related: gape, gaze, glare, leer, ogle, stare, side-glance, squinny, squint, coup d'oeil

  3. the outward form of someone or something especially as indicative of a quality

    "the bride's father has the look of a prosperous businessman"

    similar: appearance, aspect, dress, figure, garb, mien, outside, presence, regard (archaic), cut of one's jib
    related: air, attitude, bearing, behavior, comportment, demeanor, deportment, manner, poise, pose, carriage, posture, stance, cast, mold, shape, turn, color, coloring, complexion, countenance, face, features, habit, habitus, person (archaic), physiognomy, superficies, visage

  4. the qualities in a person or thing that as a whole give pleasure to the senses

    "a supermodel's career tends to be entirely based on her exceptional good looks"

    similar: aesthetics, attractiveness, beauteousness, beautifulness, beauty, comeliness, cuteness, fairness, gorgeousness, handsomeness, loveliness, prettiness, sightliness
    related: allure, appeal, attraction, fascination, glamour, charm, delightfulness, elegance, exquisiteness, gloriousness, radiance, radiancy, resplendence, resplendency, splendidness, splendiferousness, sublimeness, sublimity, superbness, desirability, desirableness, foxiness, lusciousness, nubility, pulchritude, seductiveness, sex appeal, sexiness, shapeliness, flawlessness, perfection, daintiness, delicacy, flamboyance, flashiness, glossiness, showiness, slickness, splashiness
    opposite: grotesqueness, hideousness, homeliness, plainness, ugliness, unattractiveness, unbecomingness, unloveliness, unsightliness
    near: disagreeableness, dreadfulness, foulness, ghastliness, horribleness, loathsomeness, nastiness, offensiveness, repellency, repulsiveness, terribleness, vileness, blemish, flaw, imperfection

Related Entry: Look (at) (verb)

Look (at) is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look (at), not for look.

  1. to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

    "I found her at the mall looking at the new outfits on the mannequins"

    similar: behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, witness, get a load of (slang), lay eyes on, set eyes on
    related: identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind, study, watch, examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey, glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook

Related Entry: Look (into) (verb)

Look (into) is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look (into), not for look.

  1. to search through or into

    "the owner is being forced to look into new options for promoting his declining business"

    similar: delve (into), dig (into), examine, explore, inquire (into), investigate, probe, research, check into, check up on
    related: inspect, sift, study, view, browse, cruise, peruse, scan, skim (through), surf, thumb (through), reinvestigate

Related Entry: Look (on or upon) (verb)

Look (on or upon) is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look (on or upon), not for look.

  1. to think of in a particular way

    "you could call the comment mean-spirited, but I do not look on it that way at all"

    similar: account, call, consider, count, esteem, hold, rate, reckon, regard, set down, view, take for
    related: believe, deem, feel, sense, think, conceive, fancy, imagine

Related Entry: Look (toward) (verb)

Look (toward) is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look (toward), not for look.

  1. to stand or sit with the face or front toward

    "the bay window looks toward the park"

    similar: face, front, point (toward)
    related: abut, adjoin, border, bound, fringe, margin, meet, neighbor, rim, skirt, touch, command, dominate, overlook, look down (on)

Related Entry: Look-alike (noun)

Look-alike is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look-alike, not for look.

  1. something or someone that strongly resembles another

    "at first glance these two mattresses may be look-alikes, but a comparison of their innards tells a different story"

    similar: alter ego, carbon, carbon copy, clone, counterpart, doppelgänger, double, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, fetch, image, likeness, match, mirror image, picture, replica, ringer, spit, spitting image, twin
    related: effigy, portrait, portrayal, companion, fellow, mate, equal, equivalent, analogue, parallel
    near: antithesis, converse, opposite, reverse

Related Entry: Look down (on or upon) (verb)

Look down (on or upon) is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look down (on or upon), not for look.

  1. to show contempt for

    "I am tired of the way they look down on us like we aren't good enough for them"

    similar: contemn, dis (slang), disdain, disrespect, high-hat, scorn, slight, sniff (at), snoot, snub, look down one's nose (at), sneeze at, thumb one's nose (at), walk over
    related: scout, abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, belittle, deplore, deprecate, disparage, disapprove (of), discountenance, disfavor, frown (on or upon)
    opposite: honor, respect
    near: cherish, prize, treasure, value, admire, esteem, lionize, hallow, revere, venerate, worship, accept, appreciate, approve (of), care (for), countenance, favor, OK, subscribe (to)

Related Entry: Look out (for) (verb)

Look out (for) is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look out (for), not for look.

  1. to be cautious of or on guard against

    "if you go in those woods, look out for snakes!"

    similar: beware (of), guard (against), mind, ware, watch out (for), be on the lookout for, keep one's eyes open for
    related: attend, heed, mark, note, notice, behold, discern, observe, perceive, see, watch
    near: discount, disregard, ignore, miss, overlook

  2. to have an interest or concern for

    "as a fiduciary, she has an obligation to look out for our interests"

    similar: care, mind, watch
    related: attend, heed, regard, note, notice, observe, empathize (with), feel (for), sympathize (with)
    near: disregard, ignore, overlook

Related Entry: Look-see (noun)

Look-see is a different word from Look. The synonyms below are for look-see, not for look.

  1. a close look at or over someone or something in order to judge condition

    "gave the painting a preliminary look-see to determine whether it could possibly be a genuine old master"

    similar: audit, check, checkup, examination, going-over, inspection, review, scan, scrutiny, survey, view
    related: analysis, assay, close-up, deconstruction, dissection, exploration, investigation, probe, research, study, inquisition, interrogation, once-over, perusal, recheck, reinspection, resurvey, observation, surveillance, watch, checkout, test-drive, trial run

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Look

The most common words with a similar meaning to Look:

Chiefly Southern & Midland: allow, go
Archaic: regard
act, appear, come across (as), come off (as), feel, make, seem, sound, air, expound, express, give, raise, state, vent, ventilate, voice, aim, aspire, calculate, contemplate, design, intend, mean, meditate, plan, propose, purport, purpose, give air to, put forth, figure on, cast, countenance, expression, face, visage, eye, gander, glance

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Look

Words with the opposite meaning of Look:

stifle, suppress, grotesqueness, hideousness, homeliness, plainness, ugliness, unattractiveness, unbecomingness, unloveliness, unsightliness

Related Words for Look

dissemble, pretend, recall, resemble, suggest, hint, imply, insinuate, advertise, announce, declare, enounce, enunciate, proclaim, say, broadcast, circulate, disseminate, publish, describe, write, write up, sound off, speak out, speak up, chime in, communicate, convey, put across, put over

Near Antonyms of Look

censor, restrain, restrict, disagreeableness, dreadfulness, foulness, ghastliness, horribleness, loathsomeness, nastiness, offensiveness, repellency, repulsiveness, terribleness, vileness, blemish, flaw, imperfection

Word Forms of Look

Inflections: looked, looking, looks

Origin & Etymology of Look

Middle English, from Old English lōcian; akin to Old Saxon lōcōn to look

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Look

Words & Phrases Containing Look

look after, look-alike, look at, look daggers, look down, look down one's nose, look for, look forward

Frequently Asked Questions about Look

What does "Look" mean?

"Look" means to make sure or take care (that something is done). As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to make sure or take care (that something is done). It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Look"?

Other words for "Look" include act, appear, come across (as), come off (as), feel, make, seem and sound. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Look" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Look"?

There are 202 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Look". Common alternatives include act, appear, come across (as), come off (as), feel, make, seem, sound, air and expound.

What is the opposite of "Look"?

Antonyms of "Look" include stifle, suppress, grotesqueness, hideousness, homeliness, plainness, ugliness and unattractiveness. Near antonyms include censor, restrain, restrict and disagreeableness.

How do you use "Look" in a sentence?

Examples of "Look" in a sentence: "it looks like it might rain"; "the music teacher looked her displeasure with a fierce frown"; "they were looking to make a fast buck".

Is "Look" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Look" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Look" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Look" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Look"?

"Look" is pronounced /ˈlu̇k/.