look like
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb phrase: - To have a similar appearance to someone or something: This is the primary meaning, indicating that one person or thing shares visual characteristics with another. - To give the impression or appearance of being something: This meaning describes creating an outward perception, often based on visual cues.
Usage
- Use "look like" to compare physical appearances between people, animals, or objects.
- Use "look like" to describe the impression or likelihood of a situation based on its appearance.
- The phrase is followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase (e.g., "look like her," "look like rain").
Examples
- Physical resemblance:
- With that curly hair, you look like your father when he was young.
- That cloud looks like a giant rabbit.
- Impression or likelihood:
- Those dark clouds look like rain. (It appears that it will rain.)
- It looks like we're going to be late for the meeting. (The current situation suggests we will be late.)
Advanced Usage
- "To look like oneself": To appear as one typically does, often in terms of health or demeanor.
- After a good night's sleep, you finally look like yourself again.
- "To look like nothing on earth" (idiomatic): To have a very strange or unattractive appearance.
- After the accident, the car looked like nothing on earth.
Variants and Related Words
- Resemble (verb): To be similar to in appearance or character. A more formal synonym.
- She closely resembles her grandmother.
- Take after (phrasal verb): To resemble a family member in appearance, character, or behavior.
- He really takes after his mother; they have the same sense of humor.
Synonyms
- Appear similar to
- Bear a resemblance to
- Seem
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Look as if / Look as though: Functionally similar to "look like" when describing an impression. Often followed by a clause.
- It looks as if the package has already been delivered.
- She looked as though she had seen a ghost.
Related Idioms
- Look like a million dollars (bucks): To look extremely attractive, healthy, or stylish.
- In her new dress, she looked like a million dollars.
- Look like death warmed over/up: To look very ill or tired.
- You should go home; you look like death warmed over.
Verb
- bear a physical resemblance to
- She looks like her mother