Phrasal verb
look round
Meanings
to examine or tour a place by walking around and looking at what is there
to turn your head and scan an area to see what is happening or to find someone or something
Definition
To look round means to examine a place by looking at it from different angles, often when you are visiting or searching.
If you look round, you take time to see what is in a room, building, or area. People often do this when they arrive somewhere new, when shopping, or when deciding what to do next. It can also mean scanning an area to find someone or something.
Examples
- I’ll look round the house before we decide to rent it.
- You can look round the museum at your own pace.
- He looked round the platform to find his friends.
- She looked round the shop but didn’t buy anything.
- They looked round the park for a quiet place to sit.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes write "look around" and "look round" as different meanings, but in most contexts they mean the same thing and both are correct (with "round" more common in British English).
More phrasal verbs
- go on To go on means to continue or keep happening.
- carry out To carry out something means to do it or complete it, especially a plan, task, or instruction.
- set up To set up means to arrange or prepare something so it is ready to use or happen.
- pick up “Pick up” most commonly means to collect someone or something from a place, usually by going there.
- go back To go back means to return to a place, time, or earlier situation.