look up

Short definition: The phrase look up means to search for information in a book or online, or to improve after a difficult period.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb look up? This is a very common expression in English and it has several different meanings. It can mean searching for information, improving over time, visiting someone, or physically raising your eyes. The meaning depends on context, so it’s important to notice what comes after it. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how look up works in daily English.

look up v. /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/

Forms: look up, looks up, looked up, looking up
Related: search v., improve v., visit v., glance v.
Syllable: look-up

(Verb) To search for information in a book, database, or online.
To look up something most commonly means to search for specific information, such as a word in a dictionary, a phone number, or a fact online. It focuses on actively checking a source to find accurate details.

If you don’t know the meaning, you can look it up in the dictionary.

She looked up the restaurant reviews before making a reservation.

I had to look up the address because I wasn’t sure where the office was.

Synonyms: search for, check, research, consult, refer to, find information, investigate, browse for details, seek out facts, examine source, review reference, verify information
Antonyms: ignore, guess, assume without checking, overlook, skip research, avoid verifying, neglect to check, dismiss information, rely on memory only, ignore source, overlook details, avoid confirmation
(Verb) To improve or become more positive.
Look up can also describe a situation improving. When things are looking up, they are getting better, especially after a difficult period.

After months of struggle, things are finally looking up for the business.

Don’t worry—everything will look up soon.

Once she found a new job, her mood started to look up.

Synonyms: improve, get better, brighten, recover, progress positively, turn around, pick up, advance, rise, strengthen, show improvement, head upward
Antonyms: worsen, decline, deteriorate, fall apart, go downhill, weaken, drop, fail, collapse, lose momentum, become negative, sink
(Verb) To raise your eyes or head to look upward.
In a literal sense, look up means directing your eyes or head upward. This meaning is often used in descriptions of physical movement.

She looked up at the sky and noticed the stars were unusually bright.

He looked up from his book when he heard someone call his name.

The child looked up at the tall building in amazement.

Synonyms: raise your head, glance upward, lift your gaze, direct eyes upward, tilt head up, look overhead, gaze upward, glance above, lift your eyes, look toward sky, peer upward, look above
Antonyms: look down, lower gaze, bow head, glance downward, drop eyes, stare at ground, look below, cast eyes down, lower head, look beneath, keep eyes lowered, face downward
(Verb) To visit someone when you are in their area.
Look up can also mean visiting someone, especially when you are already nearby. It suggests making the effort to reconnect.

I’ll look you up the next time I’m in town.

She looked up an old friend while traveling abroad.

If you’re ever in the city, be sure to look me up.

Synonyms: visit, drop by, call on, stop by, check in on, pay a visit, reconnect with, see in person, meet up with, go see, contact directly, seek out socially
Antonyms: ignore, avoid visiting, stay away, neglect contact, skip meeting, lose touch, avoid contact, bypass, overlook socially, not reconnect, forget about, keep distance

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Look up

In a university library, Sebastian and Elena are studying. The dialogue explores look up, which means to search for information in a book or on a computer, or for a situation to improve.

Sebastian: I’m not sure what this specific medical term means, so I think I’ll look up the definition in the heavy encyclopedia on the desk.

Elena: It’s much faster if you look up the word online using your phone; the digital dictionary is updated much more frequently than these books.

Sebastian: I read that things are finally starting to look up for the local economy after several years of slow growth and high unemployment.

Elena: I noticed that you look up to your older brother a lot because of his dedication to his work and his kind personality toward others.

Sebastian: If I look up the flight schedule now, I can see if there are any cheaper tickets available for our trip to London next summer.

Elena: I saw a group of tourists look up at the tall skyscrapers in awe as they walked through the busy city center for the first time.

Sebastian: It’s a good idea to look up the address of the restaurant before we leave so we don't waste time wandering around the neighborhood later.

Elena: I agree; I’m going to look up the contact details for the repair shop to see if my laptop is finally ready to be picked up today.

Sebastian: I’m glad the weather is starting to look up; we can finally go for that long walk in the park that we’ve been planning all week.

Elena: Me too; once we look up the best route through the forest, we can enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful scenery together.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Look Up

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb look up is used to talk about searching for information or improving over time.

Look up a word

To search for a definition.

If you don’t understand the meaning, look up the word in a reliable dictionary.

Look up information

To search for details.

She looked up information about the company before attending the interview.

Look up an address

To find location details.

He looked up the address online to make sure he wouldn’t get lost.

Look up a phone number

To search for contact details.

I had to look up the phone number before calling customer service.

Look up a fact

To verify information.

Before writing the article, she looked up the fact to ensure accuracy.

Look up to someone

To admire and respect someone.

Many young athletes look up to professional players as role models.

Look up old friends

To reconnect with someone.

While visiting his hometown, he decided to look up old friends from school.

Look up online

To search on the internet.

If you’re unsure about the schedule, you can look it up online.

Look up historical data

To search past records.

Researchers looked up historical data to compare trends over time.

Look up a translation

To find meaning in another language.

She looked up the translation of the phrase before using it in her presentation.

Look up a reference

To check a source.

The student looked up a reference to support his argument.

Look up the weather

To check conditions.

Before traveling, always look up the weather forecast.

Look up a recipe

To search cooking instructions.

She looked up a recipe to prepare a special dinner for her family.

Look up exam results

To check scores.

Students eagerly looked up their exam results online.

Look up the schedule

To check timing information.

Please look up the schedule before planning your visit.

Look up new ideas

To search for inspiration.

The designer looked up new ideas to improve the product’s appearance.

Look up technical terms

To search specialized vocabulary.

Engineers often look up technical terms to ensure precise communication.

Look up directions

To find navigation guidance.

He looked up directions before starting the road trip.

Look up company details

To research background information.

Before investing, she looked up company details carefully.

Look up background information

To research context.

Journalists always look up background information before publishing a story.

Words Rhyme with look up

book cup

cook pup

hook sup

took up

shook up

brook up

crook up

shook sup

took cup

hook pup

cup

pup

sup

yup

hiccup

pickup

makeup

shakeup

breakup

wakeup

checkup

stickup

mockup

lockup

linkup

setup

letup

getup

windup

POS: Verb Phrase