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.
And then, they tell you anyway with a proud look on their face, eliminating the chance to experience the satisfaction that comes with figuring something out on your own.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture, there are many where we’re smiling, Kim Jong Un and I get along GREAT!” he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 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
He almost belly flopped beside her but the look on her face made him stop short.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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.
