A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

look ahead to something • look forward to
 something
look ahead to something —prepare or plan smth. for the
future: Drivers and teams are now looking ahead to the next
contest in Malaysia.
look forward to something —anticipate smth. with great
pleasure: Every year the children look forward to the holidays
coming.
look alive • look half dead
look alive —
1
. (coll.) act or respond quickly: Challenge your
staff to become excited about the services they provide. Chal-
lenge them to look alive! 2. (of images) appear life-like: I want
my paintings to look alive — so you feel you can step right
into it and get lost.
look half dead —(also: look more dead than alive) said of smb.
in a very poor physical condition (owing to illness, exhaustion,
etc.): People sleeping on the floor, looking half dead and mis-
erable, are an all too familiar sight in transportation termi-
nals.
look at someone • look on someone
look at someone —
1
. direct one’s gaze towards smb.: “My
God, look at these people! Just look at them — I ask you,” he
exclaimed. 2. take a person as an example: Education is not
necessary for success in life; look at your uncle Joe.
look on someone —regard smb. as a particular kind of person:
Do you look on him as an authority on the subject?
look at something • look on something
look at something —
1
. direct one’s gaze towards smth.: Look
at this plant … its leaves all point to the north, as true as the
magnet. 2. examine or consider smth. with attention and in
detail: We must look at the question from all sides.
look on something —
1
. (of a room, etc.) give a view of smth.;
overlook smth. (also: look on to something): Breakfast is also
long clothes
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served on the balcony terrace looking on the garden. 2. regard
smth. as a particular kind of thing: Our religion looks on the
soul of the poorest cotton-worker to be as precious as the soul
of the wealthiest cotton-lord.