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

look good • look well
look good —
1
. be beautiful to the eye; look attractive : I
always knew I had the sort of face that would look good on
the screen. 2. (often negat.) seem proper: We warn the door-
men on her building that it wouldn’t look good for them to
ferry customers to her apartment. 3. produce a good or favor-
able impression; seem to be promising: This year’s sales figures
are looking good.
look well —
1
. present a healthy appearance: The Captain
himself said, “I feel good,” but he did not look well. 2. = look
good 
1
: The graphic patterns are usually of poor quality for
printing although might look well on the screen.
look high and low • look up and down
look high and low —look everywhere for a person or thing:
I don’t know where my glasses are. I’ve looked high and low.
look up and down —look both ways; examine smth. from
end to end: He should have looked up and down the line
before he ventured to cross it.
look into something • look to something
look into something —(also: see into something) consider or
inquire into smth.: The director has an opportunity to go to
any part of the hotel if he wants to look into matters.
look to something —
1
. be careful about smth.; pay attention
to smth.: Let him look to his health: insufficient sleep often
puts heavy drags upon one’s effectiveness. 2. choose or rely on
smth. for support, help, etc.: Let this be a warning against
looking to personal diplomacy to settle issues.
look on at something • look on to something
look on at something —be an observer of smth. rather than
a participant: Potters’ boys are trained to the business by look-
ing on at the wheel.
look on to something —(of a room, etc.) overlook smth.; have
a view of smth. (also: look on something): They have a balcony
looking on to the garden with great sea and mountain views.