look

verb

1. 1

   To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes. As an intransitive verb, often with “at”.

   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.

2. 2

   To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes. As a transitive verb, often in the imperative; chiefly takes relative clause as direct object.

   Look what you did to him!

   Look who's back!

   Look how they massacred my boy.

3. 3

   To appear, to seem.

   It looks as if it’s going to rain soon. or It looks like it’s going to rain soon. or It looks like rain [is coming].

   Our new boss looks to be friendly.

   It looks as if [or like] I'm stuck with you.

   (UK) He always looks like scoring a goal if not two.

4. 4

   To give an appearance of being.

   That painting looks nice.

   You’re looking worried. Whaddya thinking about?

   You looked a fool when you slipped on a banana peel.

   You didn't use to look so dismal, but now you look/are looking positively unhappy.

5. 5

   To search for, to try to find.

6. 6

   To face or present a view.

   The hotel looks over the valleys of the Hindu Kush.

   1769, Benjamin Blayney (editor), King James Bible, Oxford standard text, Ezekiel, xi, 1, 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.

7. 7

   To expect or anticipate.

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

   1596, Edmund Spenser, The Fairie Queene, Book VI, Canto XI, 1750, The Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 4, page 139,

   "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.

8. 8

   To express or manifest by a look.

   Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again,

   For a few seconds Mr Carlyle looked his unutterable feelings. When he did speak it was with crushing deliberation.

9. 9

   To make sure of, to see to.

   "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.[…]

10. 10

    datedTo show oneself in looking; to peep out.

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

11. 11

    archaicTo check, to make sure (of something).

    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.

12. 12

    obsoleteTo look at; to turn the eyes toward.

    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,[…].

13. 13

    obsoleteTo seek; to search for.

    c. 1552–1599, Edmund Spenser, unidentified sonnet, 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.

14. 14

    obsoleteTo influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence.

    to look down opposition

    1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy, Act 3, Scene 1, 1701, The Comedies, Tragedies, and Operas Written by John Dryden, Esq, Volume 2, page 464, 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.

15. 15

    To look at a pitch as a batter without swinging at it.

    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

1. 1

   Pay attention.

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

   ‘Look,’ he began, and she flapped a hand to stop him. ‘For God’s sake don’t say anything that starts with “look”. Sentences like that lead anywhere and they’re always fatal.’

noun

1. 1

   The action of looking; an attempt to see.

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

2. 2

   Physical appearance, visual impression.

   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, […]

3. 3

   A facial expression.

   He gave me a dirty look.

   If looks could kill ...

Forms

plural

looks

past tense

looked

past participle

looked

present participle

looking

third person singular

looks