Dictionary

look up en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• lo͝okʹ ŭp (General-American)
• /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ (General-American)

Meanings

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see look, up.
   • We stayed up late to look up at the stars.
2. (idiomatic, intransitive) To have better prospects.
   • Things started looking up after Jim moved back in with his parents.
3. (idiomatic, transitive) To obtain, or seek to obtain, information about something.
   • "Why do you know about transgender stuff? Did you look it up because of me?" "Oh no. I find wanting to change forms totally normal. It never would've occurred to me." 2014 July 16, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, Jul 16, 2014:
   • The United States Supreme Court, for example, has decided that a book or a film can be banned if it arouses the prurient interests of the average person. Now prurient—I looked that up—it means having itching morbid or lewd and lascivious desires. 1967 September 14, Tom Lehrer, 00:25:50 from the start, in Tom Lehrer: Live In Copenhagen (television production), via DR2:
4. (idiomatic, transitive) To obtain, or seek to obtain, information about something. ▸ To obtain information about something from a reference book.
   • I didn't know what a mitochondrion was until I looked it up in a dictionary.
5. (idiomatic, transitive) To obtain, or seek to obtain, information about something. ▸ To enter a query into a database or search engine.
   • If you look up a bunch of random characters, there will probably be no results.
6. (idiomatic, transitive) To reconnect or meet with someone that one used to know.
   • Look me up next time you’re in town—if you can bring me some new ideas. 1914, Rupert Hughes, Clipped Wings:

Forms

Deriveds

lookupable

Relateds

look up to · lookup · look someone up and down

Synonyms

ameliorate · amend · improve · track down · get better · search · consult · improve · better · get better · batten · meliorate · aprimorate (non-native speakers’ English (chiefly Portuguese)) · enhance · hone · look up · refine

Translations (65)

cmn 上看 (used other than as an idiom) · cmn 仰視 /仰视 (used other than as an idiom) · nl naslaan (to obtain information about something from a text source) · da slå op (to obtain information about something from a text source) · no slå opp (to obtain information about something from a text source) · nl opkijken (used other than as an idiom) · cmn 仰 (used other than as an idiom) · ko 찾아보다 (to obtain information about something from a text source) · fo sláa upp (to obtain information about something from a text source) · pl wyszukiwać (to obtain information about something from a text source) · sv slå upp (to obtain information about something from a text source) · gl buscar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ar بَحَثَ (to obtain information about something from a text source) · cmn 查閱 /查阅 (to obtain information about something from a text source) · vi ngước (used other than as an idiom) · mg mikaroka (to obtain information about something from a text source) · de nachschlagen (to obtain information about something from a text source) · oc cercar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · sv se upp (used other than as an idiom) · hu kikeres (to obtain information about something from a text source) · sv kolla upp (to obtain information about something from a text source) · fi katsoa (to obtain information about something from a text source) · es buscar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · pt consultar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · pl wyszukać (to obtain information about something from a text source) · de aufblicken (used other than as an idiom) · it cercare (to obtain information about something from a text source) · cs vyhledat (to obtain information about something from a text source) · hu felnéz (used other than as an idiom) · fi näyttää hyvältä (to have better prospects, to improve) · gsw ufeluege (used other than as an idiom) · ru поиска́ть (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ru улучша́ться (to have better prospects, to improve) · fi näyttää lupaavalta (to have better prospects, to improve) · ru посмотре́ть (to obtain information about something from a text source) · is slá upp (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ru иска́ть (to obtain information about something from a text source) · es mejorar (to have better prospects, to improve) · ru смотре́ть вверх (used other than as an idiom) · pt buscar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · de bergauf gehen (to have better prospects, to improve) · ca cercar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · cmn 查 (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ms dongak (used other than as an idiom) · fr chercher (to obtain information about something from a text source) · de aufwärtsgehen (to have better prospects, to improve) · fi katsella (ylös) (used other than as an idiom) · nl opzoeken (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ga bheith ag feabhsú (to have better prospects, to improve) · de hochsehen (used other than as an idiom) · csm ˀaký·l- (to obtain information about something from a text source) · pt pesquisar (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ro căuta (to obtain information about something from a text source) · bg гледам нагоре (used other than as an idiom) · es mirar hacia arriba (used other than as an idiom) · ga cuardaigh (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ja 検索する (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ru смотре́ть (to obtain information about something from a text source) · fi katsoa (ylös) (used other than as an idiom) · tr yukarı bakmak (used other than as an idiom) · tyz bơn (used other than as an idiom) · tr bakmak (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ja 見上げる (used other than as an idiom) · hu utánanéz (to obtain information about something from a text source) · ja 調べる (to obtain information about something from a text source)