WordVale

look up to

to admire and respect

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (phrasal verb) to respect and admire someone

2. (phrasal verb) to direct your eyes upward to see something above you

Examples

• 1. She has always looked up to her older sister as a role model.
• 2. I looked up to see the birds flying across the sky.

How to use look up to

When meaning 'to respect and admire,' look up to is used for people you consider superior or worthy of emulation, often in personal, professional, or mentoring relationships. It carries a sense of genuine regard and is more personal than the formal 'respect.' The physical meaning (directing eyes upward) is much less common in modern usage but remains valid.

Common phrases

• look up to someone for
• look up to as a role model
• look up to in awe
• always looked up to
• look up to someone's example

Synonyms

admire · respect · esteem · revere · idolize

Opposites

despise · disrespect · scorn

Word family

lookdown (noun, informal: condescending attitude) · looked up to (adjective)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse the two meanings or forget that the object (the person being admired) must come between 'look' and 'up to,' not after—you say 'I look up to her' not 'I look up to at her.'

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

look after, look forward to, look into, make out, make up, narrow down

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained