Look around meaning
Look around means to walk around a place and look at the things in it. It can also mean to turn your head to see what is around you.
look around something
look around · looked · looking
We looked around the old town in the morning.
Look around meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Walk around a place and look at the things in it
look around something
- We looked around the old town in the morning.
- Can I just look around? I’m not buying today.
- They looked around three flats before they chose one.
-
2
Turn your head to see what is around you
look around
- She looked around, but nobody was there.
- I looked around the room for a free seat.
- He looked around and waved to us.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use look around in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is look around separable?
Look around has no object when you only look: I just looked around. When you name the place, it comes after around: look around the museum, look around it.
British English also says look round: We looked round the castle. Both are fine. Look around for something means search for it.
Verb tenses for look around
| Present | I look around · she looks around |
|---|---|
| Past | looked around |
| Present perfect | have looked around |
| -ing form | looking around |
Common mistakes with look around
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We looked around the around shops.
Right: We looked around the shops.
Say around once, before the place.
Wrong: I looked the museum around.
Right: I looked around the museum.
The place comes after around, even if it is a pronoun.
Wrong: He looked around of the room.
Right: He looked around the room.
No of after around.
Synonyms and opposites of look around
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- look roundthe British form of look around
- browselook at things in a shop or online without a plan
- explorewalk around a new place to learn about it
Opposite
- stay innot go out and see the place
- look forsearch for one thing, not just look at everything
Look around quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The shop assistant asked if she could help. “No, thanks. I’m just ___.”
Just looking around means you are only looking, not buying.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
The place goes after around.
-
3“She looked around the room.” What did she do?
Look around means look at what is around you.
More phrasal verbs with look
All phrasal verbs with look, by level, with an exercise
13 phrasal verbs start with look. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- look forA1try to find someone or something
- look afterA2take care of someone or something and keep them safe and well
- look upA2find information in a dictionary, a book or online
- look forward toB1feel happy about something that is going to happen
- look outB1be careful, because something bad may happen
- look atA1turn your eyes towards someone or something
- look intoB2examine the facts about a problem to find out the cause
- look backB2think about something that happened in the past
- look down onB2think that you are better than someone
- look up toB2admire and respect someone
- look overC2check something quickly, to see if it is right
- look throughB2read or check something quickly, page by page
Look around FAQ
Questions people ask about look around.
What does look around mean?
It means walk around a place and look at what is there, or turn your head to see what is around you. We looked around the market.
Is it look around or look round?
Both are correct. Look round is more common in British English and look around is common everywhere.
What does “I’m just looking around” mean in a shop?
It means you are only looking at the things and you do not want help yet. It is a polite thing to say to a shop assistant.
Use look around in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.