look up

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Thân thiện

Definition

Verb (transitive):
- To search for and find information in a reference source: The action of consulting a book, list, database, or other resource to find specific information.
- To visit or contact someone after a period of not seeing them: To seek out and meet with someone, typically to renew acquaintance or check on their well-being.
Verb (intransitive):
- To improve or become more positive: To get better, especially after a period of difficulty or decline.

Usage and Examples

Verb (transitive - seeking information):
- If you don't know the meaning, look it up in the dictionary.
- I need to look up the train schedule online.
Verb (transitive - visiting someone):
- I hope to look up my old professor when I'm in town.
- You should look him up; he'd be glad to hear from you.
Verb (intransitive - improving):
- Things are starting to look up for the company this quarter.
- After the rain stopped, the weather began to look up.

Advanced Usage

"look up to" (phrasal verb): To admire and respect someone.
- She looks up to her older sister as a role model.
The intransitive use ("things look up") is often used impersonally with subjects like "situation," "prospects," or "business."

Variants and Related Words

Lookup (noun): The process of looking up information.
- A database lookup.
Look-up (adjective): Describing something used for finding information.
- A look-up table.

Synonyms

Related Phrasal Verbs

Look up to: To admire someone.
- Many young athletes look up to professional stars.
Look down on: To regard with contempt (antonym of "look up to").
- It's wrong to look down on people from different backgrounds.

Related Idioms

Look someone up and down: To examine someone critically from head to toe.
- The guard looked the visitor up and down before letting him in.
Look up and see: To direct one's gaze upward and notice.
- I looked up and saw a bird in the tree. (Note: This is a literal combination of "look" and "up," not the phrasal verb "look up").

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