# look

> English word · Verb · IPA /lʊk/ · frequency rank #151

## Definitions
1. To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.
2. To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.
3. To appear, to seem.
4. To give an appearance of being.
5. To search for, to try to find.
6. To face or present a view.
7. To expect or anticipate.
8. To express or manifest by a look.
9. To make sure of, to see to.
10. To show oneself in looking.
11. To check, to make sure (of something).
12. To look at; to turn the eyes toward.
13. To seek; to search for.
14. To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence.
15. To look at a pitch as a batter without swinging at it.

## Etymology
From Middle English loken, lokien, from Old English lōcian, from Proto-West Germanic *lōkōn. Further origin unknown, no certain cognates outside Germanic. Cognate with Scots luke, luik, leuk (“to look, see”), West Frisian lôkje, loaitsje (“to look”), Dutch loeken (“to look”), German Low German löken. Likely also related to German lugen (“to peek”), Alemannic German luege (“to look”), Yiddish לוגן (lugn). Possibly related to Sanskrit लोक् (lok, “to see, behold”) (from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“light”) in the sense of "illuminating" (cf. related word रुच् (ruc) "to shine, illuminate")).

## Easily confused with
- **lot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lot)
- **low** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-low)
- **los** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-los)
- **Lou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lou)
- **Luo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-luo)
- **lor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lor)
- **lop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lop)
- **lox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lox)
- **loy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-loy)
- **Luk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-luk)
- **love** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-love)
- **lost** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lost)
- **lord** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lord)
- **lose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lose)
- **loss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-loss)
- **luck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-luck)
- **lots** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lots)
- **loud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-loud)
- **loop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-loop)
- **Lyon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/look-vs-lyon)

## Common misspellings (5)
`llook`, `lok`, `loko`, `lookk`, `olok`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/look