Meaning & use
looking intently
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Watching or studying something with great attention and without looking away.
Grammar: Used as the -ing form of 'look intently'; it often follows 'be' or verbs of position such as 'sat' or 'stood'.
Patterns
- be looking intently at someone/something
- sat looking intently at something
- kept looking intently
She was looking intently at the painting, trying to read the signature.
He sat looking intently at the chessboard for several minutes.
The child kept looking intently through the window, waiting for the first snowflake.
phrasefixed phrase
Giving close, serious attention to something in order to understand or notice details.
Grammar: Often followed by 'at' when the object is a thing, or by 'into' when someone is searching for information.
Patterns
- looking intently into something
- looking intently for something
- looking intently to see something
The detective was looking intently into the old records for any clue.
She was looking intently for her keys in the dark hallway.
They were looking intently to see whether the boat was coming back.
Common combinations
- looking intently at
- The audience was looking intently at the magician's hands.
- looking intently into
- He was looking intently into the microscope.
- looking intently for
- She was looking intently for any sign of movement in the bushes.
- sat looking intently
- The students sat looking intently at the screen.
- stood looking intently
- He stood looking intently at the map on the wall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gazing
- Use 'gazing' when someone looks steadily, often with admiration or wonder; 'looking intently' suggests more focused attention on details.
- staring
- Use 'staring' when someone looks with wide, fixed eyes, often rudely or in surprise; 'looking intently' is usually more deliberate and controlled.
- peering
- Use 'peering' when someone looks closely because it is hard to see; 'looking intently' does not necessarily involve difficulty seeing.
Word family
Commonly confused: looking intently or looking intensely?
looking intently vs looking intensely
'Looking intensely' means looking with strong emotion or force, while 'looking intently' means looking with close, careful attention.
Practice
Choose the correct preposition: She was looking intently ___ the small print on the contract.
Choose one answer.
'Looking intently at' is used when you watch or study something directly. 'Looking intently for' means searching, and 'looking intently into' suggests investigating, but here she is studying the print itself, so 'at' is correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “looking intently”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.