looking at something

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   Directing your eyes toward something so that you see it.

   Grammar: Followed by 'at' plus an object: she is looking at the photo.

   Patterns

   • look at someone/something
   • be looking at someone/something

   The children are looking at the fish in the tank.

   Stop looking at your phone while I'm talking to you.

   He was looking at the sky, waiting for the rain to start.

2. 2verbintransitive

   Examining or reading something carefully in order to understand it.

   Grammar: Often used of documents, figures, or problems: we are looking at the report.

   Patterns

   • look at a report/problem
   • be looking at the details

   The doctor is looking at my test results right now.

   We need to look at the figures before we decide.

   The committee is looking at ways to cut costs.

3. 3verbintransitive

   Thinking about or considering something as a possibility.

   Grammar: Common in the continuous form with future ideas: we're looking at a long delay.

   Patterns

   • be looking at a problem/delay
   • look at doing something

   We're looking at a two-hour wait, I'm afraid.

   They are looking at moving the office to a bigger building.

   If we miss the train, we're looking at a long walk home.

4. 4verbintransitive

   Judging or forming an opinion about someone or something.

   Grammar: Often followed by 'as': they look at him as a leader.

   Patterns

   • look at someone as something
   • the way someone looks at something

   People look at him as the real boss of the company.

   She looks at failure as a chance to learn.

   Try to look at the problem from his point of view.

Word forms

Common combinations

look at the picture

Look at the picture on page ten.

look at the time

Look at the time! We have to go.

look at the options

Let's look at the options before we book.

look at someone closely

The guard looked at her closely before letting her in.

the way you look at it

The way I look at it, we have nothing to lose.

Synonyms and how they differ

watch

Use 'watch' for something moving or changing over time, like a game or a film; 'look at' is for a more fixed view.

see

'See' means your eyes receive the image without effort; 'look at' means you deliberately direct your eyes.

examine

More formal and thorough; it fits medical or technical checks, while 'look at' is everyday.

consider

Fits the 'think about' sense, but 'look at' is more informal and often used with figures or plans.

Opposites

Word family

look verb

To turn your eyes toward something; the base verb of this phrase.

look noun

An act of looking, as in 'have a look'.

onlooker noun

Someone who watches something without taking part.

looker noun

Informal word for an attractive person; not related to the action of looking at something.

Commonly confused: looking at something or look after? looking at something or look for?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “looking at something”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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