Look up to means to respect and admire someone and try to follow their example. People usually say it about someone older or more experienced: a parent, a teacher, a manager, a famous athlete. The person comes after “to”: I look up to my father.
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look up to + person; someone to look up to; be looked up to by + people
- I've always looked up to my grandmother, who raised three children and ran a small business.
- Many young players look up to the team captain because he trains harder than anyone.
- A good manager is someone the team can look up to, not just someone who gives orders.
What changed
First versionAs a teenager, I really looked up at my older cousin.
RevisionAs a teenager, I really looked up to my older cousin.
“Look up at” means to raise your eyes and look at someone. So the sentence says that, as a teenager, you simply raised your eyes to look at your cousin. The idea of respecting someone and following their example is expressed by “look up to”, so “at” was changed to “to”.
The opposite is “look down on”: to think you are better than others. Some people look down on anyone who didn't go to university. “Look up to” always sounds respectful, while “look down on” shows contempt.
Your turn
Junior doctors ___ Dr Evans because she always stays calm in emergencies.
Show the answer
look up to — The junior doctors respect Dr Evans for staying calm, so “look up to” is right. “Look up” without “to” means to search for information, for example in a dictionary or online, and the reason “she always stays calm” does not fit a search.
Write about a person you look up to. Name them and explain why you respect them.
I look up to my first boss, Irina, because she always gave honest feedback and never blamed the team for her own mistakes.
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