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Meaning & use

looking

verb, adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈlʊkɪŋ/
US/ˈlʊkɪŋ/

“looking” is a form of “look”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    The -ing form of 'look': directing your eyes toward something to see it, or searching for it.

    Grammar: No object; follows a preposition: looking at the map, looking for keys, looking after children.

    Patterns

    • looking at something
    • looking for something
    • looking after someone
    • looking forward to something

    She was looking at the sky when the first star appeared.

    I've been looking for my glasses all morning.

    We're looking forward to your visit next week.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Having a certain appearance, used after an adverb or a noun, as in good-looking or odd-looking.

    Grammar: Usually forms a compound: a nice-looking house. It rarely stands alone.

    Patterns

    • good-looking
    • odd-looking

    He is a very good-looking young man.

    They live in an odd-looking house near the river.

    The expensive-looking watch turned out to be a copy.

Common combinations

looking forward to
I'm looking forward to the weekend.
looking for
She is looking for a new apartment.
looking after
He's looking after his sister's cat this week.
good-looking
The waiter was tall and good-looking.
looking into
The council is looking into the complaints.

Synonyms and how they differ

gazing
Gazing is longer and more fixed than looking, often with admiration or wonder.
watching
Watching suggests following something that moves or changes, while looking can be a short glance.
searching
Searching stresses effort to find something, which only the 'looking for' use of looking implies.
glancing
Glancing is a quick look, much shorter than looking.

Opposites

ignoringoverlooking

Word family

look verb
to direct the eyes toward something
looker noun
informally, an attractive person
outlook noun
a view or expectation for the future
lookout noun
a person or place for watching

Commonly confused: looking or seeing? looking or watching?

looking vs seeing

Seeing is noticing with your eyes, whether you meant to or not, while looking is deliberately pointing your eyes at something.

looking vs watching

You look at a still picture but watch a movie or a match.

Practice

Complete the sentence: 'I've been ___ my keys everywhere, but I can't find them.'

Make it your own

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