look up
3 meanings
find information in a book or online
What does "look up" mean in this sense?
Examples
- If you don't know the word, look it up in a dictionary.
- She looked up the restaurant's address before leaving the house.
- Have you looked up the opening times yet?
How to use it
This is the most common pattern — use it when the object is a noun phrase like 'a word', 'the address', or 'the spelling'.
I didn't know the word, so I looked up the meaning in my dictionary.
When the object is a pronoun (it, them, her name, etc.), it must go between 'look' and 'up' — this is a fixed rule.
I didn't know how to spell the word, so I looked it up.
With short noun phrases, separating the verb is common and often sounds more natural.
Can you look the number up on your phone?
The imperative is very natural when giving advice or instructions to someone.
If you're not sure about the spelling, just look it up online.
The passive is possible when the focus is on the information being searched for, rather than the person doing the searching.
Any word can be looked up in a good dictionary.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'look' and 'up'. Putting the pronoun after 'up' is incorrect in English.
'Look up' can also mean 'improve' (as in 'things are looking up'), but that sense never has an object. The search meaning always has an object — something you are searching for.
'Look for' means to search generally for something, often something lost or missing. 'Look up' specifically means to check a reference source, like a dictionary or website, for a piece of information.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. It was traditionally linked to dictionaries and reference books, but today it is just as commonly used for searching online.
admire and respect someone
Sense 2: What does "look up to sb" mean?
Examples
- He has always looked up to his father as a strong and honest man.
- As a child, who did you look up to the most?
- Many young athletes look up to her because of everything she has achieved.
How to use it
The most common pattern — the object is always a person and always comes after 'to'.
She has always looked up to her older sister for being so confident and kind.
Pronouns work very naturally here and also always follow 'to', never appearing between the three parts.
My coach meant a lot to me growing up — I really looked up to her.
Adverbs like 'always' and 'never' are common with this phrasal verb because it describes a long-held attitude rather than a single event.
He has never really looked up to anyone in the music industry the way he looks up to that guitarist.
This question form is very common, especially when asking someone about their role models or inspirations.
When you were growing up, who did you look up to the most?
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Look up' (two parts) means to search for information, like a word in a dictionary. 'Look up to' (three parts) always has a person as its object and means to admire them. Check whether the object is a person — if it is, you need all three words.
'Look up to' is a fixed three-part unit — you cannot place the object between any of the three words. The person you admire must always come after 'to'.
'Look up to' only works with people as its object, not things, qualities, or abstract ideas. If you want to express admiration for a quality or concept, use a different verb like 'value' or 'admire'.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English. It usually describes an ongoing or long-held feeling of admiration, so it's most natural in the simple present or past: 'I look up to my coach' or 'She always looked up to her mother'.
start to improve (a situation, business, or life)
Sense 3: What does "look up" mean?
Examples
- Things are finally looking up — I've got a new job and my health is better.
- Business looked up considerably after we launched the new product line.
- After months of uncertainty, it seems like the economy is starting to look up.
How to use it
The most common pattern: an abstract subject describing a situation is followed by 'look up' with no object.
Things are really looking up since she got that promotion.
Any noun referring to circumstances or conditions can act as the subject, not just 'things'.
Our finances are finally looking up after a difficult couple of years.
Use 'for + person' to specify who is experiencing the improvement.
Life is really looking up for him now that he has found a new direction.
Pair with verbs like 'start' or 'begin' to emphasise that an improvement is only just beginning.
The job market is starting to look up, which is good news for recent graduates.
Adding a time phrase explains what triggered the improvement.
Business has really looked up since they redesigned the website.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
In this sense, 'look up' is intransitive — it never takes an object. Adding a noun directly after it sounds unnatural and can create confusion with the 'search for information' sense.
The same phrasal verb means something completely different when followed by an object — it means to search for information. The 'improve' sense always has a situational subject like 'things' or 'business', never a piece of information.
Native speakers rarely say 'things aren't looking up' — it sounds slightly unnatural. It is more common to use a different word like 'improve' or 'get better' in negative contexts.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both conversation and writing. The subject is almost always an abstract word for a situation or life in general, and 'things' is the most common subject by far.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'look up' always mean searching in a dictionary?
No — it started out that way, but today 'look up' is used for any reference source, including websites, apps, and search engines. You can look up a phone number, a recipe, directions, or a fact online. The core idea is simply finding specific information from a source.
What kinds of things can I 'look up'?
The object is usually a specific piece of information — a word, a definition, a spelling, a phone number, an address, a name, or a fact. It's less natural to use 'look up' with very vague or abstract objects. Stick to concrete, specific things you want to find.
Can I say 'I will look up it later'?
No — when 'it' or another pronoun is the object, it must go between 'look' and 'up'. The correct form is 'I'll look it up later'. This is a firm rule in English and cannot be changed.
Is 'look it up' and 'Google it' the same thing?
In everyday speech, they are often used in the same situations — both mean finding information quickly using an online source. 'Look it up' is slightly more general and can include non-internet sources like books, while 'Google it' specifically means using a search engine.
Can 'look up to' be used in the passive, like 'she is looked up to'?
It's best to avoid the passive with 'look up to'. Because the object follows the preposition 'to', forming a natural passive is very awkward in English. Stick to the active form, for example: 'Many students look up to her' rather than 'She is looked up to by many students'.
Does 'look up to' always refer to a person, or can it refer to a company or a team?
It almost always refers to a specific person or a group of people, such as 'I look up to the founders of that company'. Using it with a thing, place, or abstract idea sounds unnatural. If the object is a person or a group of people, you're good to go.
Is 'look up to' mainly used when talking about the past, like childhood heroes?
It's very commonly used in the past tense when talking about childhood role models, but it works just as naturally in the present. You can say 'I still look up to my coach' or 'Many young people look up to her today'. The key is that it describes an ongoing feeling of admiration, not a one-time event.
What's the difference between 'look up to' and 'look down on'?
'Look up to' and 'look down on' are near-opposites. 'Look up to' means to admire and respect someone, while 'look down on' means to think you are better than someone or to treat them as less important. You can think of the direction as a clue: looking 'up' suggests admiration, looking 'down' suggests contempt.
Can I use 'look up to' to talk about admiring someone I don't personally know, like a celebrity?
Yes, absolutely. 'Look up to' is very commonly used for famous people, public figures, athletes, and historical figures — not just people you know personally. For example: 'A lot of young runners look up to her because of her dedication'.
Can 'look up' in this sense be used with a person as the subject, like 'I am looking up'?
Not usually — the subject is almost always an abstract noun referring to a situation, such as 'things', 'life', or 'business'. To refer to a specific person, use the pattern 'look up for + person', as in 'Things are looking up for me.' Saying 'I am looking up' in this sense would sound unnatural.
Does 'look up' always suggest things were bad before?
Yes, nearly always. The phrase implies a turning point — a shift from a difficult or uncertain period to something more positive. This is why it often appears with words like 'finally' or 'at last', which signal relief. If there was no previous difficulty, 'improve' or 'get better' might sound more neutral.
Which tense is most natural with this phrasal verb?
The present continuous — 'things are looking up' — is by far the most common form and usually the most natural choice. The present perfect ('things have looked up') and past simple ('things looked up') are also used, particularly when describing a completed improvement. Very complex tenses like the future perfect tend to sound forced with this verb.
Does 'look up' have other meanings?
Yes — the same form 'look up' has at least one other well-known meaning: to search for information, as in 'I looked up the word in a dictionary.' That sense is completely separate from this one. If you see an object directly after 'look up', it is almost certainly the 'search' sense, not the 'improve' sense.
What kinds of subjects work best with this sense of 'look up'?
The subject should be a word that refers to a situation, set of circumstances, or general state of affairs — 'things', 'life', 'business', 'the economy', 'prospects', 'the situation', and 'fortunes' all work well. Physical objects or specific concrete nouns do not usually work as subjects in this pattern.
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