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Glite Dictionary
⚠️ Be careful 🛡️ Protect someone
to look out

to look out

388 1.6
Watch for danger or trouble
  • phrasal verb
  • /lʊk aʊt/
: tener cuidado
  • Shouldn't you be looking out for your tow truck?

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Examples

Synonyms

to watch
vsto look out
∞ 1.0

To be careful and pay attention to possible danger

has identical meaning but is expressed as a different common phrase
to pay attention
vsto look out
985 1.6

To focus on someone or something and notice carefully

is vigilance for danger rather than general mental focus
to watch out
vsto look out
  • Informal
498 3.0

To be careful to avoid danger or trouble

has identical meaning but uses a different common phrase
to keep an eye on
vsto look out
  • Informal
432 2.4

To watch someone or something carefully to make sure nothing bad happens

is broad vigilance rather than active continuous supervision
to look out for
vsto look out
356 3.0

Watch carefully to notice danger or help someone

is personal vigilance to avoid danger rather than protecting others
to watch it
vsto look out
  • Informal
236 5.6

Be careful to avoid danger or upsetting someone

is the same caution idea but given as a brief spoken warning
to beware
vsto look out
149 4.1

Be careful and watch for danger

is general vigilance rather than a direct warning to be careful
to keep watch
vsto look out
83 3.1

To stay alert and watch for danger or trouble

is general caution rather than formal supervised observation
to keep an eye out
vsto look out
  • Informal
73 3.2

Watch carefully for someone or something

is general vigilance rather than active searching for a target
to take notice
vsto look out
61 3.5

To see and pay attention to something

is active vigilance aimed at avoiding harm rather than neutral observation
on the lookout for
vsto look out
47 3.4

Watching carefully to find someone or something

is general careful watching rather than an active search
on guard
vsto look out
45 3.5

Alert and ready to act if danger or problems appear

is a simple call to be careful rather than formal preparedness
to stay alert
vsto look out
27 3.4

To watch carefully so you notice danger or changes

is general carefulness rather than a brief instruction to be vigilant
to keep guard
vsto look out
22 3.1

To stay and watch to protect people or a place

is general vigilance rather than an assigned protective duty
to stand watch
vsto look out
  • Jargon
16 3.4

To stay awake and guard people or a place

is similar but covers general personal vigilance rather than assigned duty
to take heed
vsto look out
  • Formal
12 6.2

Pay careful attention to advice or warnings

is watchfulness for danger rather than listening to advice
to keep a close watch
vsto look out
10 3.0

Look at a person or thing very carefully for a while to notice problems

is general vigilance rather than intense continuous monitoring
to keep one's eyes open
vsto look out
2 3.8

Watch carefully for danger or a chance

is general vigilance rather than a casual brief glance
to keep an eye peeled
vsto look out
  • Informal
1 6.0

Watch carefully for something you expect to see

is general vigilance rather than focused readiness for one item
to watch one's back
vsto look out
  • Informal
1 6.8

Be careful about people who might try to harm you

is general vigilance for danger rather than focus on personal threats from others
on one's guard
vsto look out
1 4.7

Alert and ready to deal with danger or problems

is general vigilance rather than formal readiness to act
to keep one's ears open
vsto look out
  • Informal
1 3.7

Stay alert to hear useful news or information

is broader vigilance not limited to listening
to keep one's eyes peeled
vsto look out
  • Informal
1 4.6

Watch carefully for something important or dangerous

is general vigilance rather than focused search for one thing
on (one's) guard
vsto look out
4.6

Ready and careful about possible danger or problems

is general vigilance expressed informally rather than a formal duty
to keep one's eyes skinned
vsto look out
  • UK
8.2

Watch carefully for danger or a chance to act

is general vigilance rather than intense continuous attention

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to neglect
189 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Alert

vigilant
71 6.0
to look out
388 1.6
to watch
∞ 1.0
to be careful
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

look out infinitive
looked out past
looked out past participle
looking out present participle
looks out third person singular

Morphology

look + out

The sense 'to protect or watch over someone' is plausibly derived from combining 'look' (direct attention/watch) with 'out' (outward vigilance), so a learner who knows the parts can often infer a watching/protective meaning. However, the extension to 'ensure someone gets what they need' or the habitual sense 'take care of' is a pragmatic/idiomatic extension of the literal components and depends on phrasal-verb usage, so it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The phrasal verb look out comes from the image of someone standing high and using their eyes to look out over land or sea to spot danger, and they would shout 'look out' to warn others. That's why today look out means 'to be careful' or 'to watch for danger'.