Meaning & use
look up
Last updated
Meanings
verbphrasal verb
To search for information in a book, list or online.
Grammar: Takes an object, which can come between: look it up or look up the word.
Patterns
- look something up
- look up something
I looked up the word in a dictionary.
Look it up online.
She looked the train times up.
verbphrasal verbinformal
To improve or become better.
Grammar: No object: things are looking up.
Patterns
- things are looking up
Business is finally looking up.
Things are looking up since he got a job.
verbphrasal verb
To raise your eyes upward.
Grammar: No object; often followed by at.
Patterns
- look up at something
She looked up at the stars.
He looked up from his book.
verbphrasal verbinformal
To visit someone when you are in their area.
Grammar: Takes an object: look someone up.
Patterns
- look someone up
Look me up when you are in town.
He looked up his old friend.
Word forms
| third person singular | looks up |
|---|---|
| past tense | looked up |
| past participle | looked up |
| -ing form | looking up |
Common combinations
- look up a word
- Look up the word if you are unsure.
- look up to
- She looks up to her aunt.
- look up from
- He did not look up from his phone.
- look up the address
- I'll look up the address.
Synonyms and how they differ
- consult
- Is formal for checking a source or person.
- search for
- Is broader and need not mean a reference source.
- improve
- Is a plain verb without the casual tone.
- visit
- Is more formal than look up.
Opposites
Word family
- lookup noun
- a search in a table or database
Commonly confused: look up or look up to?
look up vs look up to
Look up to means admire; it differs from look up.
Practice
Which sentence uses look up to mean improve?
Choose one answer.
Looking up meaning improving is used of situations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “look up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.