Look vs. See
Main DifferenceThe main difference between Look and See is that Look is to focus your eyes in a particular direction, whereas See is noticing something using your eyes.
Difference Between Look and See
Look vs. See
Look is defined as to ponder about something in a deliberate manner using your eyes, whereas see is defined as casual visual perception of things using your eyes.
Look vs. See
Looking is a regular verb. On the other hand, seeing is an irregular verb.
Look vs. See
We can use the word “look” transitively or intransitively. Conversely, see is used transitively only.
Look vs. See
Look is gazing in a particular direction to show your concern, whereas see is just about noticing and observing the surroundings without any concern.
Look vs. See
Looking is a voluntary action, which is under our conscious control. Contrarily, seeing is an involuntary action, which is not under our conscious control.
Look vs. See
To look, we force our eyes to focus on the object. On the flip side, to see, there is no need to force your eyes in a specific direction to concentrate or chew over something.
Look vs. See
Look can be used for progressive actions, which means that it can describe things in motion. In contrast, see cannot be used for progressive actions, which means it cannot describe the motion of things.
Look vs. See
The past tense of look is not changed and remains the same. On the other hand, the past tense of see is changed to “saw.”
Look vs. See
The past participle of look remains unchanged, whereas the past participle of see is changed to “seen.”
Look vs. See
The preposition “to” is used when look is used with an object, while no preposition is used when see is used with an object.
Lookverb
To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.
Look at my new car!Don’t look in the closet.Seeverb
(stative) To perceive or detect with the eyes, or as if by sight.
Lookverb
To appear, to seem.
It looks as if it’s going to rain soon.Seeverb
To witness or observe by personal experience.
Now I've seen it all!I have been blind since birth and I love to read Braille. When the books arrive in from the library, I can’t wait to see what stories they have sent me.I saw military service in Vietnam.Lookverb
(copulative) To give an appearance of being.
That painting looks nice.Seeverb
To form a mental picture of.
Lookverb
To search for, to try to find.
Seeverb
(figuratively) To understand.
Do you see what I mean?Lookverb
To face or present a view.
The hotel looks over the valleys of the HinduKush.Seeverb
To come to a realization of having been mistaken or misled.
They're blind to the damage they do, but someday they'll see.Lookverb
To expect or anticipate.
I look to each hour for my lover’s arrival.Seeverb
(social) To meet, to visit.
Lookverb
(transitive) To express or manifest by a look.
Seeverb
To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit.
to go to see a friendLookverb
To make sure of, to see to.
Seeverb
To date frequently.
I've been seeing her for two monthsLookverb
To show oneself in looking.
Look out of the window [i.e. lean out] while I speak to you.Seeverb
(transitive) To be the setting or time of.
The 20th century saw humanity's first space exploration.Lookverb
To look at; to turn the eyes toward.
Seeverb
(by extension) To ensure that something happens, especially while witnessing it.
I'll see you hang for this!I saw that they didn't make any more trouble.Lookverb
To seek; to search for.
Seeverb
(gambling) To respond to another player's bet with a bet of equal value.
I'll see your twenty dollars and raise you ten.Lookverb
To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence.
to look down oppositionSeeverb
To foresee, predict, or prophesy.
The oracle saw the destruction of the city.Lookverb
(baseball) To look at a pitch as a batter without swinging at it.
The fastball caught him looking.Clem Labine struck Mays out looking at his last at bat.It's unusual for Mays to strike out looking. He usually takes a cut at it.Seeverb
To determine by trial or experiment; to find out (if or whether).
I'll come over later and see if I can fix your computer.Lookinterjection
Pay attention.
Look, I'm going to explain what to do, so you have to listen closely.Seeverb
(used in the imperative) Used to emphasise a proposition.
You see, Johnny, your Dad isn't your real dad.Looknoun
The action of looking, an attempt to see.
Let’s have a look under the hood of the car.Seeverb
(used in the imperative) To reference or to study for further details.
Step 4: In the system, check out the laptop to the student (see: "Logging Resources" in the Tutor Manual).This article is about the insect. For the English rock band, see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles The Beatles].For a complete proof of the Poincaré conjecture, see Appendix C.Looknoun
(often plural) Physical appearance, visual impression.
She got her mother’s looks.I don’t like the look of the new design.Seeinterjection
Directing the audience to pay attention to the following
See here, fellas, there's no need for all this rucus!Looknoun
A facial expression.
He gave me a dirty look.If looks could kill ...Seeinterjection
Introducing an explanation
See, in order to win the full prize we would have to come up with a scheme to land a rover on the Moon.Looknoun
the expression on a person's face;
a sad expressiona look of triumphan angry faceSeenoun
A diocese, archdiocese; a region of a church, generally headed by a bishop, especially an archbishop.
Looknoun
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually;
he went out to have a lookhis look was fixed on her eyeshe gave it a good looking athis camera does his looking for himSeenoun
The office of a bishop or archbishop; bishopric or archbishopric
Looknoun
physical appearance;
I don't like the looks of this placeSeenoun
A seat; a site; a place where sovereign power is exercised.
Looknoun
the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
the feel of the city excited hima clergyman improved the tone of the meetingit had the smell of treasonSeenoun
the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
Lookverb
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards;
She looked over the expanse of landLook at your child!Look--a deer in the backyard!Seeverb
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight;
You have to be a good observer to see all the detailsCan you see the bird in that tree?He is blind--he cannot seeLookverb
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect;
She seems to be sleepingThis appears to be a very difficult problemThis project looks fishyThey appeared like people who had not eaten or slept for a long timeSeeverb
perceive (an idea or situation) mentally;
Now I see!I just can't see your pointDoes she realize how important this decision is?I don't understand the ideaLookverb
have a certain outward or facial expression;
How does she look?The child looks unhappyShe looked pale after the surgerySeeverb
perceive or be contemporaneous with;
We found Republicans winning the officesYou'll see a lot of cheating in this schoolI want to see resultsThe 1960 saw the rebellion of the younger generation against established traditionsI want to see resultsLookverb
search or seek;
We looked all day and finally found the child in the forestLook elsewhere for the perfect gift!Seeverb
imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind;
I can't see him on horseback!I can see what will happenI can see a risk in this strategyLookverb
be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to;
The house looks northMy backyard look onto the pondThe building faces the parkSeeverb
deem to be;
She views this quite differently from meI consider her to be shallowI don't see the situation quite as negatively as you doLookverb
take charge of or deal with;
Could you see about lunch?I must attend to this matterShe took care of this businessSeeverb
get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally;
I learned that she has two grown-up childrenI see that you have been promotedLookverb
convey by one's expression;
She looked her devotion to meSeeverb
see or watch;
view a show on televisionThis program will be seen all over the worldview an exhibitionCatch a show on Broadwaysee a movieLookverb
look forward to the probable occurrence of;
We were expecting a visit from our relativesShe is looking to a promotionhe is waiting to be draftedSeeverb
find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort;
I want to see whether she speaks FrenchSee whether it worksfind out if he speaks RussianCheck whether the train leaves on timeLookverb
accord in appearance with;
You don't look your age!Seeverb
come together;
I'll probably see you at the meetingHow nice to see you again!Lookverb
have faith or confidence in;
you can count on me to help you any timeLook to your friends for supportYou can bet on that!Depend on your family in times of crisisSeeverb
be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something;
He verified that the valves were closedSee that the curtains are closedcontrol the quality of the productSeeverb
go to see for professional or business reasons;
You should see a lawyerWe had to see a psychiatristSeeverb
go to see for a social visit;
I went to see my friend Mary the other daySeeverb
visit a place, as for entertainment;
We went to see the Eiffel Tower in the morningSeeverb
take charge of or deal with;
Could you see about lunch?I must attend to this matterShe took care of this businessSeeverb
receive as a specified guest;
the doctor will see you nowThe minister doesn't see anybody before noonSeeverb
date regularly; have a steady relationship with;
Did you know that she is seeing an older man?He is dating his former wife again!Seeverb
see and understand, have a good eye;
The artist must first learn to seeSeeverb
deliberate or decide;
See whether you can come tomorrowlet's see--which movie should we see tonight?Seeverb
observe as if with an eye;
The camera saw the burglary and recorded itSeeverb
observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect;
The customs agent examined the baggageI must see your passport before you can enter the countrySeeverb
go or live through;
We had many trials to go throughhe saw action in Viet NamSeeverb
accompany or escort;
I'll see you to the doorSeeverb
match or meet;
I saw the bet of one of my fellow playersSeeverb
make sense of; assign a meaning to;
What message do you see in this letter?How do you interpret his behavior?Seeadverb
compare (used in texts to point the reader to another location in the text)
Comparison Chart
| Look | See |
| A voluntary action of concentrating your eyes on something is called look. | An involuntary action of noticing and casually observing things is called see. |
| Concentration | |
| Required | Not required |
| Verb | |
| Regular verb | Irregular verb |
| Automatic Action | |
| Not an automatic action | An automatic action |
| Progressive Tense | |
| Can be used in progressive tenses | Cannot be used in progressive tenses |
| Way of Perceiving | |
| Directing gaze in a specific direction | Perceiving with eyes |
| Relation with Facts | |
| Not related to facts | Related to facts |
| Past Tense | |
| Look | Saw |
| Past Participle | |
| Look | Seen |
| Example | |
| I was just looking at this artistic piece of nature. | Mary saw me at the party yesterday. |
Look vs. See
Look means to direct our eyes on something or someone and pay attention to it, whereas see is defined as glancing something that comes into our sight without particular attention. Look is a voluntary action. On the other hand, see is an involuntary action.
Look is an intentional act, which means that we pay special attention to something with our will. On the other hand, see is an unintentional act, which means to notice or observe something casually without our will. We look with care and attention to full detail, whereas we see without care and attention to full detail.
When we look at something or someone, we try to see forcefully and concentrate on the object. On the flip side, we see something when an image comes before our eyes, and it may not be deliberate. Look cannot be used when we are talking about sports, matches, or public performances, which may include films, theatres, and dramas, etc. On the other hand, see can be used with sports and entertainment.
When look is used with an object, “to” is used after look, whereas when we use see with an object, “to” is not used. Look is used to state an object specifically. On the other hand, see is used to make simple statements.
Look can be used to describe an action, while see is used to manifest that experience has completed. We use look in progressive actions, but we don’t use see in progressive actions.
What is Look?
Look means to intentionally concentrate over something and pay attention to its details over time. Look is a regular verb that can be used transitively or intransitively, which means that it can convey its meaning with or without an object.
Look is not a programmed or unconscious action. Looking can be defined as a deliberate action that gives full information about the object. This verb can be used for progressive actions but generally is not used for moving things.
Types
- Goggling: Looking with astonishment is called goggling.
- Examining: Observing, noticing, and looking over carefully is called examining.
- Scrutinizing: Inspecting carefully for accuracy is called scrutinizing.
- Gazing: Constant looking for a long time is called gazing.
- Gawking: Looking with amazement is called gawking.
- Observing: Looking attentively is called observing.
- Beholding: Seeing with attention is called beholding.
- Leering: Looking suggestively and obliquely is called leering.
- Scowling: Looking with displeasure is called scowling.
- Ogling: Staring or looking with romantic intentions is called ogling.
Examples
- Alina looked up as Haris entered the lounge hastily.
- Look at this picture. Can you recognize me here?
- I like to look at the moon at night when everyone is asleep.
- The lovely couple just looked at each other’s eyes and smiled.
- Ali looked around furtively to see if someone had watched him stealing the gold and the money.
- Just look at the rain. See how heavily it’s raining.
- I am trying to look at the tower, but I do not see anything.
What is See?
See means to observe the surrounding from eyes. An image forming in front of the eyes and noticing the scene with eyes is called seeing. It is not a gaze or an intentional act of focusing on something. It is related to the things we cannot escape.
The word “See” refers to the automatic visualizing of events. It is not as deliberate as look. See is not a regular verb. This irregular verb cannot be used for progressive tenses or moving things. “Saw” is marked as the past tense of see, whereas “Seen” is considered the past participle of see.
Types
- Frowning: Making angry facial expressions or looking at something displeasantly is called frowning.
- Blinking: Rapid opening and closing of eyes are called blinking.
- Winking: Partly closing of one eye showing something as a joke is called winking.
- Glancing: Taking a quick look at something or someone is called glancing.
- Glimpsing: Seeing someone for a very short interval is called glimpsing.
- Gaping: Seeing something with your mouth opened in amusement and bewilderment is called gaping.
- Staring: Looking constantly at something or someone for a long duration is called staring.
- Peeping: Seeing something furtively and secretively trying not to be disclosed is called peeping.
- Peering: Looking at something carefully, which is not clear before your eyes are called peering.
- Squinting: Looking with partly closed eyes is called squinting.
Examples
- I can see white clouds all over the sky.
- Did you see Ryan? I think he was waiting for you in the bar.
- Ahmad saw her running out of her house wildly.
ConclusionLook refers to elaborated, inspectional, and thoughtful visualization of things, whereas see refers to the unintentional, casual, and thoughtless visual perception of things. Look involves an intentional willingness, while see involves an automatic response.
