expression

look after

to take care of

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to take care of someone or something; to be responsible for their health and safety

2. (verb) to watch or follow someone or something with your eyes

Examples

1. She looks after her elderly parents every day.
2. He looked after the departing ship until it disappeared from view.

How to use look after

Look after means to provide care and supervision for a person, animal, or responsibility, or to follow something visually. It is commonly used in everyday contexts and is more British English than American English (which often prefers 'take care of'). The two senses—caretaking and watching—are related by the idea of maintaining attention or vigilance.

Common phrases

look after children
look after yourself
look after a pet
look after someone's interests
look after the house

Synonyms

care for · take care of · attend to · tend · mind

Opposites

neglect · abandon · ignore

Word family

looking after · looked after

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 'look after' with 'look for' (search for) or fail to recognize that it requires an object; you must look after something/someone, not simply 'look after.'

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