“Look” is one of the most commonly used verbs in English, and today we’re going to, well, take a close look at it. We’ll focus on collocations and useful expressions that feature this versatile word—so keep reading, and get ready to boost your vocabulary and fluency!

“Look” as a Noun 👀

Collocation/Phrase	Meaning	Example
a hard look	a critical/serious evaluation	It’s time to take a hard look at our budget.
a quick look	a brief glance	Take a quick look at this—does it seem right to you?
a dirty look	a facial expression of disapproval, disgust, or anger	She gave me a dirty look when I interrupted her.
a glazed look	a look showing lack of attention, often from boredom or fatigue	The students had a glazed look during the lecture.
a blank look	a look showing confusion or lack of understanding	Tommy gave me a blank look when I asked the question.

“Look” as a Verb 👀

Collocation/Phrase	Meaning	Example
to look the image of someone	to resemble someone closely, usually a parent or relative	He looks the image of his father when he was young.
to look like a million bucks/dollars	to appear extremely attractive or stylish (informal)	Wow, you look like a million dollars in that dress!
to look at the big picture	to consider the overall situation, not just small details	We need to look at the big picture before making a final decision.
to look over your shoulder	to be suspicious or worried about being followed or watched	He’s been looking over his shoulder ever since the investigation started.
Look at it this way.	Consider a situation from a different or more positive perspective.	Look at it this way—at least you gained experience, even if the project failed.
to look on the bright side	to focus on the positive aspects of a bad situation	It’s raining, but at least we don’t have to water the garden—look on the bright side!
to look your best	to appear as attractive or well-dressed as possible	Mary wants to look her best for the interview.
to look the other way	to pretend not to notice something, often wrong or inappropriate	The manager looked the other way when the rules were broken.
to look sharp	to appear smart and well-dressed	You look sharp in that suit!
to look to the future	to focus on what is coming rather than the past	Let’s stop worrying about what happened and look to the future.
to look the part	to appear suitable for a particular role or situation	She definitely looks the part of a CEO in that suit.
to look someone up and down	to examine someone carefully, often in a judging or suspicious way	The guard looked him up and down before letting him through.
Look no further!	You’ve found exactly what you need!	If you want the best coffee in town, look no further!
Look before you leap.	Think carefully before taking action.	I’d advise you to look before you leap—this job isn’t what it seems.
to look past something	to ignore or forgive a fault, or focus on something more important	We need to look past our differences and work together.

Practice 👀

Close Text. Click the link here and complete the text with the right words.

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