Look up to meaning
Look up to means to admire and respect someone.
look up to somebody
look up to · looked · looking
I’ve always looked up to my older sister.
Look up to meanings and examples
One meaning, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Admire and respect someone
look up to somebody
- I’ve always looked up to my older sister.
- Children look up to their teachers.
- Who do you look up to the most?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use look up to 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 up to separable?
Look up to is a three-word verb and it is never separable. The person comes after to: look up to my boss, look up to her.
It is only for people (or sometimes heroes). You can look up to someone for their courage or honesty: I look up to her for staying calm. Do not mix it up with look up, which is about information.
Verb tenses for look up to
| Present | I look up to · she looks up to |
|---|---|
| Past | looked up to |
| Present perfect | have looked up to |
| -ing form | looking up to |
Common mistakes with look up to
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I look up my father.
Right: I look up to my father.
Look up to needs to before the person.
Wrong: I look him up to.
Right: I look up to him.
A three-word verb stays together.
Wrong: I looked up to the word in a dictionary.
Right: I looked up the word in a dictionary.
Look up to is only for people you admire. For information, use look up.
Synonyms and opposites of look up to
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- admirea single word with the same idea
- respectthink someone is good or important
- idoliseadmire someone too much
Opposite
- look down onthink you are better than someone
- despisefeel strong dislike for someone
Look up to quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1My grandmother raised six children alone. I really ___ her.
Look up to means admire and respect.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Keep look up to together, with the person after to.
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3Who do you look up to?
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 down onB2think that you are better than someone
- look overC2check something quickly, to see if it is right
- look throughB2read or check something quickly, page by page
Look up to FAQ
Questions people ask about look up to.
What does look up to mean?
It means admire and respect someone. I look up to my coach.
What is the difference between look up to and admire?
They are close. Look up to is more personal and often about a role model, someone you want to be like. Admire is more general.
What is a role model?
A role model is a person you look up to and want to copy. A teacher, a parent or an athlete can be a role model.
Use look up to 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.