Commonly confused
Look up vs Look down
“Look up” and “Look down” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is what each one means, with examples — and the difference that learners most often miss.
The key difference
Look up can mean a situation starts to improve. Look down means direct your eyes downward.
look up
- 1
Direct your eyes upward
“He looked up at the stars.”
- 2
Search for information in a book or online
“I looked up the word in a dictionary.”
- 3
Start to become better
“Things are looking up at work.”
look down
- 1
Direct your eyes downward
“He looked down at his shoes.”
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic.