1 A2 neutral
To direct your eyes toward something so that you see it.
"Look at that beautiful sunset — I've never seen the sky that colour before."
inseparable
look at
A2 neutral inseparable transitive
To direct your eyes toward something, or to consider or examine something.
In plain English
To turn your eyes toward something, or to think about or study something.
What does "look at" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To examine, consider, or study something — often with the aim of understanding or making a decision.
"The committee will look at the proposal and give their response next week."
inseparable
3 A2 informal
(Informal) Used to draw attention to a situation as an example or evidence.
"Look at what happened to the company after they cut their research budget."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To direct your gaze (look) in the direction of (at) something.
Actually means
To turn your eyes toward something, or to think about or study something.
Usage tip
One of the most fundamental and frequent phrases in English. Used for both literal (visual) and figurative (intellectual consideration) meanings. Also used in imperative instructions: 'Look at this!' Very common as an opener in discussions: 'Let's look at the data.'
Words that pair with "look at"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
data problem picture screen results situation
How to conjugate "look at"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
look at
I/you/we/they
3rd person
looks at
he/she/it
Past simple
looked at
yesterday
Past participle
looked at
have + pp
-ing form
looking at
continuous
Hear "look at" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "look at" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.