Look down on meaning
Look down on means to think that you are better than someone.
look down on somebody
look down on · looked · looking
He looks down on people who don’t go to university.
Look down on meanings and examples
One meaning, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Think that you are better than someone
look down on somebody
- He looks down on people who don’t go to university.
- Don’t look down on anyone because of their job.
- She felt that her neighbours looked down on her.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use look down on 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 down on separable?
Look down on is a three-word verb and it is not separable. The person comes after on: look down on him, look down on people who are late.
It is always a negative feeling. The person who looks down on others feels superior. Do not use it for looking at a street from a high window: for that, say look down at or look out over.
Verb tenses for look down on
| Present | I look down on · she looks down on |
|---|---|
| Past | looked down on |
| Present perfect | have looked down on |
| -ing form | looking down on |
Common mistakes with look down on
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: He looks down to people who are poor.
Right: He looks down on people who are poor.
Use on, not to.
Wrong: He looks down me.
Right: He looks down on me.
Do not forget on.
Wrong: He looks me down on.
Right: He looks down on me.
A three-word verb stays together.
Synonyms and opposites of look down on
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- despisea stronger word, with a feeling of hate
- turn up your nose atrefuse something because you think it is not good enough
- sneer atlaugh at someone in a rude way
Opposite
- look up toadmire and respect someone
- respectaccept that someone has value
Look down on quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1He thinks he is better than all of us. He always ___ us.
Look down on means think you are better than someone.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Keep the three words together.
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3Which is the opposite of look down on?
Look up to means admire.
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 aroundB1walk around a place and look at the things in it
- look intoB2examine the facts about a problem to find out the cause
- look backB2think about something that happened in the past
- 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 down on FAQ
Questions people ask about look down on.
What does look down on someone mean?
It means think that you are better or more important than that person. It is a negative thing and sounds unkind.
What is the opposite of look down on?
Look up to. You look up to someone you admire.
Is look down on formal?
No, it is neutral and common in speech and writing, about people and also groups: They look down on people without a degree.
Use look down on 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.