Seek vs. Look — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 4, 2024
Seek implies a more active, deliberate effort to find something, while look refers to the act of directing one's gaze towards something to see it.
Difference Between Seek and Look
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Key Differences
Seek and look are both verbs related to the action of trying to find or see something, but they differ in intensity, purpose, and sometimes context.Look, on the other hand, primarily refers to the physical act of directing one’s gaze towards something to see it.
To seek is to attempt to find something through an active, often prolonged effort. Looking can be casual or focused, but it generally implies that the object of the look is visible or that the action is less intensive than seeking.
The difference between the two can also be seen in their usage in idiomatic expressions and phrases. For instance, "seeking advice" suggests a more involved process than simply "looking at advice," and "looking out the window" suggests a more passive action compared to "seeking someone out in a crowd."
Understanding the nuances between seek and look enhances the precision of communication, especially in contexts where the intensity and purpose of the search are important.
Comparison Chart
Intensity
High, involves active effort
Lower, involves directing gaze
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Purpose
Goal-oriented, to find something specific
To see, often more immediate and less intensive
Effort
Prolonged, determined
Immediate, can be casual or focused
Context
Can be physical or metaphorical
Primarily physical, related to seeing
Examples
Seeking knowledge, seeking a solution
Looking at a painting, looking out the window
Connotation
Implies a deeper level of engagement
More about observation and immediate perception
Compare with Definitions
Seek
Involves a purposeful or prolonged search.
She seeks to improve her skills.
Look
May not imply a prolonged effort.
Look here, what do you see?
Seek
Often implies a deeper quest or investigation.
The novel’s protagonist seeks the truth.
Look
To direct one’s gaze towards something to see it.
Look at the sky. it’s full of stars.
Seek
Associated with intention and effort in searching.
They seek a remedy for the issue.
Look
Can imply a casual or immediate action.
He looked around the room.
Seek
To attempt to find something through active effort.
Archaeologists seek the lost city.
Look
Associated with visual perception.
She looked surprised at the news.
Seek
Can be used metaphorically for desires or goals.
Seeking happiness is a universal pursuit.
Look
Often used in the context of observing.
Look through the microscope to see the cells.
Seek
To try to locate or discover; search for
Animals seeking prey.
Look
To employ one's sight, especially in a given direction or on a given object
Looking out the window.
Looked at the floor.
Seek
To endeavor to obtain or reach
Seek a college education.
Look
To search
We looked all afternoon but could not find it.
Seek
To go to or toward
Water seeks its own level.
Look
To turn one's glance or gaze
Looked to the right.
Seek
To inquire for; request
Seek directions from a police officer.
Look
To turn one's attention; attend
Looked to his neglected guitar during vacation.
Looked at the evidence.
Seek
To try; endeavor
Seek to do good.
Look
To turn one's expectations
Looked to us for a solution.
Seek
To make a search or investigation
Seek and you will find.
Look
To seem or appear to be
Look morose.
Seek
(ambitransitive) To try to find; to look for; to search for.
I seek wisdom.
Look
To face in a specified direction
The cottage looks on the river.
Seek
(transitive) To ask for; to solicit; to beseech.
I seek forgiveness through repentance.
Look
To turn one's eyes on
Looked him in the eye.
Seek
(transitive) To try to acquire or gain; to strive after; to aim at.
I sought my fortune on the goldfields.
Look
To convey by one's expression
Looked annoyance at the judge.
Looked his devotion to me.
Seek
To go, move, travel (in a given direction).
Look
To have an appearance of conformity with
He looks his age. She dressed up to look the part.
Seek
(transitive) To try to reach or come to; to go to; to resort to.
When the alarm went off I sought the exit in a panic.
Look
To appear to be
Looked the fool in one version of the story.
Seek
To attempt, endeavour, try
Our company does not seek to limit its employees from using the internet or engaging in social networking.
Look
The act or instance of looking
I took just one look and I was sure.
Seek
To navigate through a stream.
Look
A gaze or glance expressive of something
Gave her a mournful look.
Seek
(computing) The operation of navigating through a stream.
Look
Appearance or aspect
A look of great age.
Seek
Sick.
Look
Looks Physical appearance, especially when pleasing.
Seek
To go in search of; to look for; to search for; to try to find.
The man saked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren.
Look
A distinctive, unified manner of dress or fashion
The preferred look for this fall.
Seek
To inquire for; to ask for; to solicit; to beseech.
Others, tempting him, sought of him a sign.
Look
To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.
Seek
To try to acquire or gain; to strive after; to aim at; as, to seek wealth or fame; to seek one's life.
Look
(intransitive) As an intransitive verb, often with "at".
They kept looking at me.
Don’t look in the closet.
Seek
To try to reach or come to; to go to; to resort to.
Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal.
Since great Ulysses sought the Phrygian plains.
Look
As a transitive verb, often in the relative clause as direct object.}}
Look what you did to him!
Look who's back!
Seek
To make search or inquiry; to endeavor to make discovery.
Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read.
To seekUpon a man and do his soul unrest.
Look
To appear, to seem.
It looks as if it’s going to rain soon.
Our new boss looks to be a lot more friendly.
Seek
The movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk
Look
(copulative) To give an appearance of being.
That painting looks nice.
Seek
Try to get or reach;
Seek a position
Seek an education
Seek happiness
Look
To search for, to try to find.
Seek
Try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of;
The police are searching for clues
They are searching for the missing man in the entire county
Look
To face or present a view.
The hotel looks over the valleys of the HinduKush.
Seek
Make an effort or attempt;
He tried to shake off his fears
The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps
The police attempted to stop the thief
He sought to improve himself
She always seeks to do good in the world
Look
To expect or anticipate.
I look to each hour for my lover’s arrival.
Seek
Go to or towards;
A liquid seeks its own level
Look
(transitive) To express or manifest by a look.
Seek
Inquire for;
Seek directions from a local
Look
To make sure of, to see to.
Look
To show oneself in looking.
Look out of the window [i.e. lean out] while I speak to you.
Look
To look at; to turn the eyes toward.
Look
To seek; to search for.
Look
To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence.
To look down opposition
Look
(baseball) To look at a pitch as a batter without swinging at it.
The fastball caught him looking.
Clem Labine struck Mays out looking at his last at bat.
It's unusual for Mays to strike out looking. He usually takes a cut at it.
Look
Pay attention.
Look, I'm going to explain what to do, so you have to listen closely.
Look
The action of looking; an attempt to see.
Let’s have a look under the hood of the car.
Look
(often plural) Physical appearance, visual impression.
She got her mother’s looks.
I don’t like the look of the new design.
Look
A facial expression.
He gave me a dirty look.
If looks could kill ...
Look
To direct the eyes for the purpose of seeing something; to direct the eyes toward an object; to observe with the eyes while keeping them directed; - with various prepositions, often in a special or figurative sense. See Phrases below.
Look
To direct the attention (to something); to consider; to examine; as, to look at an action.
Look
To seem; to appear; to have a particular appearance; as, the patient looks better; the clouds look rainy.
It would look more like vanity than gratitude.
Observe how such a practice looks in another person.
Look
To have a particular direction or situation; to face; to front.
The inner gate that looketh to north.
The east gate . . . which looketh eastward.
Look
In the imperative: see; behold; take notice; take care; observe; - used to call attention.
Look, how much we thus expel of sin, so much we expel of virtue.
Look that ye bind them fast.
Look if it be my daughter.
Look
To show one's self in looking, as by leaning out of a window; as, look out of the window while I speak to you. Sometimes used figuratively.
My toes look through the overleather.
Look
To await the appearance of anything; to expect; to anticipate.
Looking each hour into death's mouth to fall.
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.
My subject does not oblige me to look after the water, or point forth the place where to it is now retreated.
The bishops thereat repined, and looked black.
Her friends would look on her the worse.
I looked on Virgil as a succinct, majestic writer.
I'll be a candleholder, and look on.
Look
To look at; to turn the eyes toward.
Look
To seek; to search for.
Looking my love, I go from place to place.
Look
To expect.
Look
To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence as, to look down opposition.
A spirit fit to start into an empire,And look the world to law.
Look
To express or manifest by a look.
Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again.
Look
The act of looking; a glance; a sight; a view; - often in certain phrases; as, to have, get, take, throw, or cast, a look.
Threw many a northward look to see his fatherBring up his powers; but he did long in vain.
Look
Expression of the eyes and face; manner; as, a proud or defiant look.
Up ! up! my friends, and clear your looks.
Look
Appearance; aspect; as, the house has a gloomy look; the affair has a bad look.
Pain, disgrace, and poverty have frighted looks.
There was something that reminded me of Dante's Hell in the look of this.
Look
The expression on a person's face;
A sad expression
A look of triumph
An angry face
Look
The act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually;
He went out to have a look
His look was fixed on her eyes
He gave it a good looking at
His camera does his looking for him
Look
Physical appearance;
I don't like the looks of this place
Look
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Look
Perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards;
She looked over the expanse of land
Look at your child!
Look--a deer in the backyard!
Look
Give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect;
She seems to be sleeping
This appears to be a very difficult problem
This project looks fishy
They appeared like people who had not eaten or slept for a long time
Look
Have a certain outward or facial expression;
How does she look?
The child looks unhappy
She looked pale after the surgery
Look
Search or seek;
We looked all day and finally found the child in the forest
Look elsewhere for the perfect gift!
Look
Be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to;
The house looks north
My backyard look onto the pond
The building faces the park
Look
Take charge of or deal with;
Could you see about lunch?
I must attend to this matter
She took care of this business
Look
Convey by one's expression;
She looked her devotion to me
Look
Look forward to the probable occurrence of;
We were expecting a visit from our relatives
She is looking to a promotion
He is waiting to be drafted
Look
Accord in appearance with;
You don't look your age!
Look
Have faith or confidence in;
You can count on me to help you any time
Look to your friends for support
You can bet on that!
Depend on your family in times of crisis
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to look?
To look means to direct one’s gaze towards something in order to see it, often implying a more immediate and less effort-intensive action.
Is looking always a passive action?
While looking can be passive, it can also be an active, focused observation, depending on the context and intention behind the action.
Can you seek something without looking for it?
Yes, seeking can involve non-visual efforts, such as seeking understanding or seeking to improve, where the search is metaphorical rather than visual.
Can seek and look be used interchangeably?
While they can be used interchangeably in some contexts, their nuances mean they convey different levels of effort and intention, making them not perfectly synonymous.
How do seek and look differ in a research context?
In research, seeking might involve a comprehensive study or exploration for information, while looking could refer to observing specific details or data.
What role does intention play in the difference between seek and look?
Intention is key; seeking implies a deliberate intention to find something, while looking implies the intention to see or observe.
What does it mean to seek?
To seek means to attempt to find or obtain something through a deliberate and active effort, often involving a prolonged search.
How do the phrases "seek out" and "look for" compare?
"Seek out" implies a more targeted and determined effort to find something, while "look for" suggests a general attempt to find something by looking.
What is an example of seeking without a physical action?
Seeking enlightenment or seeking approval are examples where the action is more about an internal or social quest rather than a physical search.
Can the context change the intensity of looking?
Yes, the context can elevate the intensity of looking, such as in "looking intently," which implies a focused and sustained observation.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
