look up

verb

1. (tr) to discover (something required to be known) by resorting to a work of reference, such as a dictionary

2. (intr) to increase, as in quality or value

   things are looking up

3. to have respect (for)

   I've always wanted a girlfriend I could look up to

4. (tr) to visit or make contact with (a person)

   I'll look you up when I'm in town

Idioms and Phrases

Search for in a book or other source, as in I told her to look up the word in the dictionary . [Late 1600s]

Call on or visit, as in I'm going to look up my friend in Chicago . [Mid-1800s]

Become better, improve, as in Business is finally looking up . [c. 1800]

look up to . Admire, respect, as in The students really looked up to Mr. Jones . [Early 1700s]

Example Sentences

It was so absurd that at one point, reliever Justin Wrobleski looked up and noticed that the innings he pitched in—the sixth and seventh—were no longer visible on the scoreboard.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And because I was baffled, I looked up why it is that we don’t know about it, and got to find out that Korean palace cuisine is dying as a cultural heritage.”

Read more on Salon

The macro environment seems to be looking up for them, however.

Read more on Barron's

I was a Chelsea fan growing up and he was the player I looked up to.

Read more on BBC

“You can kind of look up and know that the window you’re in is really important, and you really need to win now.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times