looking

looking — noun

1. the activity of using your eyes to see someone or something, or to search for th

1.nounB1
Definition

the activity of using your eyes to see someone or something, or to search for them

Example

All this looking for the right apartment has made Meera feel tired and frustrated.

uncountable noun with 'all this'

Constant looking at computer screens can cause eye strain and headaches.

uncountable + 'constant' + 'at'

Common collocations
  • constant looking
  • careful looking
  • a little looking
  • all this looking
  • some looking around
  • looking at
  • looking for
  • looking through
  • looking around
Synonyms
  • gaze

    a longer, more fixed way of looking, often in wonder or admiration

  • glance

    a very quick look, often without full attention

  • stare

    a prolonged, focused look that may be rude or surprised

  • peek

    a quick, often secretive look

Antonyms
  • ignoring

    the deliberate act of not looking or paying attention

Grammar Patterns

uncountable

often used with modifiers like 'all this', 'constant', 'a little'

Usage Note

Used as an uncountable noun derived from the verb 'look'. Unlike the base noun 'look' (which can be countable: 'have a look'), 'looking' is not typically used with indefinite articles ('a looking') and is less common in everyday speech. It appears most naturally in phrases expressing duration or type of visual activity, such as 'all this looking', 'constant looking', or 'some looking around'.

Common Mistakes

I did a looking of the book before buying it.
I took a look at the book before buying it.
'looking' is not a countable noun in standard English; use the noun 'look' instead.
She made a quick looking at the map.
She looked quickly at the map.
'looking' is not used with 'make' + article; use the verb form or the noun 'look'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe ways of using your eyes to see something, but they differ in duration, intensity, and purpose. A gaze is a long, steady look often driven by wonder or deep thought — someone might gaze at a sunset or a painting. A glance is the shortest and most casual: a quick movement of the eyes toward something, often without full attention, like glancing at the time on your watch. A stare is longer and more focused than a gaze, but it can feel impolite or aggressive — people stare at something surprising or unusual. A peek is a brief, often secretive look, like peeking through a crack in the door or taking a quick peek at a gift before it is given. Gaze is the most poetic, glance the most practical, stare the most intense, and peek the most playful.

gaze ↗glance ↗stare ↗peek

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Looking is the noun form of the verb 'look', which comes from Old English 'lōcian' meaning 'to use one's eyes, to gaze, to see'. The word is related to Old Saxon 'lōkōn' and Old High German 'luogēn' (to look out, to peer). The noun use of the gerund form ('-ing') dates back to early Middle English, where the present participle developed into a verbal noun expressing the action or process of looking.