look up to — admire or respect someone
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To admire or respect someone, often because of their achievements or character.
Say it like a native
Textbook I have always greatly respected my older sister.
Native I've always looked up to my big sister.
'Look up to' is the natural, warm verb for admiring. 'Greatly respected' is flatter and more formal.
Pattern: look up to + someone
In use
- I've always looked up to my older sister because she's so hardworking.relationships
- In my opinion, it’s important to have someone you look up to, as they can inspire you to improve yourself.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She looks up for her teacher.
✓ She looks up to her teacher.
It's 'look up TO someone' (admire), not 'look up for'.
Common collocations
look up to— my parents, a role model, her older brother, someone
Don't confuse it
'Look down on' means to think you are better than someone; 'look up to' is the opposite.