look on
Britishverb
-
(adverb) to be a spectator at an event or incident
-
Also: look upon. (preposition) to consider or regard
she looked on the whole affair as a joke
he looks on his mother-in-law with disapproval
-
Also, look upon . Regard in a certain way, as in I looked on him as a second father , or We looked upon her as a worthy successor . [Early 1600s]
-
Be a spectator, watch, as in She rode the horse around the ring as her parents looked on . [Late 1500s]
-
Also, look on with . Read from someone's book, paper, or music at the same time, as in I forgot my score; can I look on with you? [Late 1800s]
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After Báez hit his first homer, Marmol couldn’t help but notice the look on his face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
My husband stepped into the glow of the television, a gentle, almost apologetic look on his face.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
In a video published on Monday, swimmers were seen removing a Russian drone from the water as holidaymakers look on.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Maybe I let it drop because of the look on a parent’s face.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
I don’t have time for an appointment with a therapist I don’t need, but the look on her face tells me I’ve lost.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
