look for
Definition
Verb: 1. To search for or seek something or someone: To try to find or locate a person, object, or piece of information. 2. To expect or hope for something: To anticipate or be on the watch for a particular event or outcome.
Usage
The verb "look for" is a common phrasal verb. It is transitive and requires a direct object (the thing or person being sought). It is often used in continuous tenses to describe an ongoing search.
Examples
- Searching for an object:
- Searching for a person:
- Searching for information/opportunities:
- Expecting/Hoping for:
Advanced Usage
- "To be looking for trouble": To behave in a way that is likely to cause problems or a confrontation.
- Driving that fast in a residential area is just looking for trouble.
Variants and Related Words
- Lookout (noun): A person who watches for danger, or the act of keeping watch.
- He acted as a lookout while the others entered the building.
- Looker (noun): An informal term for an attractive person.
- He's quite a looker. (Note: This is unrelated to the meaning of "look for").
Synonyms
- Search for: Often implies a more systematic or thorough effort.
- They will search for the missing hikers at dawn.
- Seek: A more formal synonym.
- The company seeks qualified candidates.
- Hunt for: Suggests a determined, sometimes difficult search.
- I've been hunting for that rare book for years.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Look after: To take care of someone or something.
- Can you look after my cat while I'm on vacation?
- Look into: To investigate or examine.
- The manager promised to look into our complaint.
- Look forward to: To anticipate with pleasure.
- I look forward to meeting you next week.
Related Idioms
- Look for a needle in a haystack: To search for something extremely difficult or impossible to find.
- Finding my earring in this grassy park is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Verb
-
be excited or anxious about
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try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
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The police are searching for clues
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They are searching for the missing man in the entire county
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