INDEX:
1. to look for someone or something when you do not know where they are
2. to look for something or someone that you need or want
3. to look for information in a book, on a computer etc
4. when the police are looking for a criminal
5. to search a place to try to find someone or something
6. to look for something in a bag, box, pocket etc
7. an attempt to find something or someone
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ FIND OUT
↑ LOSE
↑ LOST
↑ FIND
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1. to look for someone or something when you do not know where they are
▷ look for /ˈlʊk fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to try to find something that you have lost, or someone who is not in the place where you expected them to be :
▪ I’m looking for Simon -- have you seen him?
▪ I’ve been looking everywhere for that key! Where did you find it?
▷ try to find /ˌtraɪ tə ˈfaɪnd/ [verb phrase]
to look for someone or something, especially when it is difficult to find them :
▪ Jill was up in the attic trying to find her old school books.
▪ I tried to find Jack to tell him the news, but he wasn’t anywhere around.
▷ have a look /ˌhæv ə ˈlʊk/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to look for someone or something, especially when you do it quickly or when you only look in one place :
▪ ‘I can’t find my shoes.’ ‘Have a look in your bedroom.’
have a look for
▪ I had a look for Clive but he wasn’t in his office.
have a quick look
▪ I’ll just have a quick look for that book before we go.
have a good look
look carefully and thoroughly
▪ We don’t have time to find it now - we’ll have a good look in the morning.
▷ search for /ˈsɜːʳtʃ fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to look carefully and thoroughly for someone or something, especially when it is very important that you find them :
▪ Coastguards are still searching for survivors from the ship.
▪ Friends and neighbours joined police officers to search for clues.
▷ in search of /ɪn ˈsɜːʳtʃ ɒv/ [preposition] especially spoken
if you go in search of someone or something, you go somewhere in order to find them :
go/set off in search of
▪ She stayed and talked for a while, then went off in search of Flynn.
▷ hunt /hʌnt/ [intransitive verb]
to look urgently and thoroughly for someone or something in every possible place :
▪ Friends and neighbors hunted everywhere, but no-one could find the child.
hunt for
▪ I hunted all morning for the book of photos, but couldn’t find it.
2. to look for something or someone that you need or want
▷ look for /ˈlʊk fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to try to find something or someone that you need :
▪ Can you help me? I’m looking for a place to stay.
▪ The company is looking for young, enthusiastic graduates to work in its sales department.
▪ I spent months looking for a job, with no luck.
▷ try to find /ˌtraɪ tə ˈfaɪnd/ [verb phrase]
to look for something or someone that you need, especially when it is difficult and takes a long time :
▪ I spent half an hour trying to find a parking space.
▪ Drug companies are trying to find an alternative drug, which will not have such serious side-effects.
▷ in search of /ɪn ˈsɜːʳtʃ ɒv/ [preposition] especially written
if you go in search of something that you need, you go somewhere to try to find it :
▪ Many young people move to the cities in search of a better future.
▷ search for /ˈsɜːʳtʃ fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to spend time trying to find something or someone that you need :
▪ I searched everywhere for a birthday present for Kim, but I found nothing I liked.
▪ I was made redundant last year, and am still searching for a new job.
▪ The school is currently searching for ways to save money.
▷ look around for /ˌlʊk əˈraʊnd fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to look in different places or directions, in order to find a suitable person or thing that you need :
▪ He looked around for somewhere to hang the wet towel.
▪ We’re always looking around for new products to add to our list.
▪ They’re looking around for a decent apartment, not too far from the city.
▷ seek /siːk/ [transitive verb] formal
to try to get or find something you need, for example advice, friendship, or a job :
▪ Economics graduate, aged 25, with business experience, seeks interesting part-time work in the West London area.
▪ If you are at all worried about your symptoms, you should seek medical advice.
▪ The government is seeking support from teachers for its latest education reforms.
▷ be on the lookout for /biː ɒn ðə ˈlʊkaʊt fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase] informal
to be eagerly and continuously looking for something or someone that might be useful to you :
▪ My mother’s always on the lookout for a good bargain.
▪ The club is always on the lookout for new young players.
▪ The design department is constantly on the lookout for original ideas.
▷ hunting /ˈhʌntɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
job/house/bargain etc hunting
when you are trying to find or get a job, house etc :
▪ We rented a car and went house-hunting as soon as we arrived.
▪ Job hunting takes a lot of effort and can be a long, depressing process.
▷ leave no stone unturned /ˌliːv nəʊ ˌstəʊn ʌnˈtɜːʳnd/ [verb phrase]
to do everything that you can to find something such as the answer to a problem - used especially in literature :
▪ If a solution can be found, Mr Danby, I shall leave no stone unturned until I have found it.
▪ Union leaders have promised to leave no stone unturned in their search for a way to keep the factory open.
3. to look for information in a book, on a computer etc
▷ search /sɜːʳtʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to look for information, a document, an Internet page etc on a computer :
▪ You can search on the Internet for the names of dealers in your area.
▪ I searched a few websites, but couldn’t find the information I was looking for.
search [countable noun]
▪ I did a quick search on the Internet and found three airlines with tickets available on that date.
▷ surf /sɜːʳf/ [transitive verb]
surf the net/Internet
to look at a lot of pages on the Internet, looking for something that interests you :
▪ Many youngsters spend hours surfing the net.
▷ look up /ˌlʊk ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to try to find information by looking in a book, on a list, in computer records :
look up something
▪ If you look up the title of the book, you should then find the author.
look something up
▪ If you don’t know what it means, look it up in the dictionary.
▷ go through /ˈgəʊ θruː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to carefully examine a piece of writing, a set of documents, an official record etc in order to find a piece of information or check that there are no mistakes :
▪ He went through the contract quite carefully, checking all the details.
▪ I’ve finished my essay, but I just need to go through it to check for spelling mistakes.
▷ trawl/trawl through /trɔːl, ˈtrɔːl θruː/ [transitive verb/verb phrase]
to look through a large number of records, documents etc for a particular thing or piece of information :
▪ She spent hours trawling through patients’ medical records looking for evidence of negligence by doctors.
trawl [countable noun] British :
▪ A trawl through the jobs pages of his local paper produced only one job that he wanted to apply for.
▷ scour /skaʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to read a piece of writing or document very carefully in order to find a piece of information that you need :
▪ He spent half an hour scouring the newspaper for any mention of the fire.
▷ browse /braʊz/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to look for information on the Internet using a computer, especially when you do not know exactly what information you need or where to find it :
▪ Browsing the net one afternoon, I came across Tom’s homepage.
▪ One company said that up to half of their employees spend over an hour’s work time a day browsing the web.
4. when the police are looking for a criminal
▷ look for/search for /ˈlʊk fɔːʳ, ˈsɜːʳtʃ fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to look for someone who has been involved in a crime or who has escaped from prison :
▪ Police are still looking for three men who stole £55,000 from a post office in York.
▪ Police searching for the killer of a nine-year-old girl have appealed to the public for help.
▷ be after /biː ˈɑːftəʳǁ-ˈæf-/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to be trying to find and catch someone who has done something wrong :
▪ She said she was frightened because the police were after her.
▪ The man we’re after is one of the biggest drug-dealers in South America.
▷ hunt /hʌnt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to search for a criminal - use this when a large number of police are making an organized search over a wide area :
hunt for
▪ Police are still hunting for the girl’s killer.
hunt somebody down
search for a criminal until you find them
▪ Many opponents of the regime who escaped abroad were later hunted down and killed.
5. to search a place to try to find someone or something
▷ search /sɜːʳtʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
▪ At the site, rescue workers have been searching systematically in the hope of finding more survivors.
search a place/area etc
▪ Police have searched the area near his home, but have so far found nothing.
search (a place) for
▪ Local people are still searching woods near the victim’s home for any clues to help find her killer.
▷ scour /skaʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to search an area very carefully and thoroughly, looking for something that is very important :
scour a place for
▪ A team of detectives is scouring the area for the murder weapon.
▪ Developers are scouring the country for possible sites for these new superstores.
▷ comb /kəʊm/ [transitive verb]
to thoroughly examine a large area in great detail, especially by moving across it, looking for something or someone that is difficult to find :
▪ Police and volunteers are combing the countryside in the hope of finding the missing boy.
▪ Rescuers combed the hillsides but found no trace of the missing climbers.
comb a place for
▪ The children combed the shoreline for shells.
▷ drag a river/pond etc /ˌdræg ə ˈrɪvəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to search for something in a river, lake etc by pulling a heavy net along the bottom :
▪ The murder weapon, a kitchen knife, was found when police dragged a nearby pond.
▷ ransack /ˈrænsæk/ [transitive verb]
to search a room, house, cupboard etc very thoroughly and roughly in order to find things or steal things, usually causing a lot of untidiness or damage :
▪ Thieves broke in and ransacked the house.
▪ The newspaper’s offices were ransacked by members of the secret police.
▷ raid /reɪd/ [transitive verb]
if the police raid a place, they arrive there suddenly to look for criminals, drugs, or stolen goods :
▪ The Casino nightclub has been closed since it was raided last month.
▪ Police officers raided a house in North London last night, and found substantial quantities of illegal drugs.
▷ turn somewhere inside out/upside down /ˌtɜːʳn sʌmweəʳ ˌɪnsaɪd ˈaʊt, ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/ [verb phrase]
to search a house, a room etc very thoroughly, often making it very untidy :
▪ We turned all the cupboards inside out but couldn’t find the letters.
▪ I turned the house upside down looking for my birth certificate.
6. to look for something in a bag, box, pocket etc
▷ rummage/rummage about /ˈrʌmɪdʒ, ˌrʌmɪdʒ əˈbaʊt/ [intransitive verb/verb phrase]
to look for something among a lot of other things that are all together by moving them around with your hands :
rummage/rummage about in
▪ Louise rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small envelope.
rummage/rummage about for
▪ He unzipped his school bag and rummaged about for a pencil.
▷ fish around /ˌfɪʃ əˈraʊnd/ also fish about /ˌfɪʃ əˈbaʊt/ British [intransitive phrasal verb]
to look for a small object in a large or deep container, especially using just your hands :
fish around in
▪ Sam fished about in his pockets and produced a few coins.
fish around for
▪ He fished around in his bag for the letter.
▷ feel around /ˌfiːl əˈraʊnd/ also feel about British [intransitive phrasal verb]
to search for something by touch without using your eyes :
▪ She put her hand under the seat and felt around, but couldn’t find anything.
feel around for
▪ She felt around for the light switch.
▷ fumble around/about /ˌfʌmb ə l əˈraʊnd, əˈbaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to use your hands to look for something in an awkward way, especially because it is dark or you are nervous or in a hurry :
▪ The phone rang and, half-asleep, Winston fumbled about to find the receiver.
fumble around/about in
▪ He fumbled around in the cupboard, desperately searching for his tablets.
fumble around/about for
▪ He fumbled around on the ground for his glasses.
▷ go through /ˈgəʊ θruː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to search someone’s clothes, bags, or possessions very thoroughly :
▪ Customs officials went through his luggage but found nothing.
▪ You have no right to go through my personal possessions!
▷ search /sɜːʳtʃ/ [transitive verb]
to search a person or their clothes to try to find drugs, weapons etc :
be searched
▪ All visitors to the prison are thoroughly searched.
search for
▪ The men were all searched for weapons and then allowed to enter.
▷ frisk /frɪsk/ [transitive verb]
if the police, airport officials etc frisk someone, they feel the person’s clothes and body, looking for hidden weapons or drugs :
▪ A guard frisked him expertly, then led him into a large room.
be frisked
▪ We were stopped by the police and frisked before being allowed into the building.
frisk somebody for something
▪ They pulled me aside and frisked me for weapons.
7. an attempt to find something or someone
▷ search /sɜːʳtʃ/ [countable noun]
an attempt to find someone or something, especially when this is well organized and a lot of people are doing it :
search for
▪ Rescuers are continuing their search for survivors of the crash.
▪ Their search for gold took them west to Washington State.
carry out a search
do a search
▪ FBI agents carried out a search of all the nightclubs in the area.
search party
an organized group of people searching for someone who is lost
▪ When the men did not return, the commanding officer sent out a search party.
house-to-house search
when every house in an area is searched
▪ Police are carrying out house-to-house searches in villages near the scene of the murder.
▷ hunt /hʌnt/ [singular noun]
an organized search by a lot of people, especially to find a criminal :
▪ Police have launched a nationwide hunt for the killer.
▷ raid /reɪd/ [countable noun]
a sudden visit by the police to a building in order to look for criminals, drugs, stolen goods etc :
▪ Raids are almost a nightly occurrence at this club.
raid on
▪ Seven people were injured in last night’s police raid on a house in Brixton, South London.
▷ wild goose chase /ˌwaɪld ˈguːs ˌtʃeɪs/ [singular noun]
a search that is a waste of time and effort, either because the thing you are looking for does not exist or you have been given wrong information :
▪ I had a feeling that the trip up to Edinburgh might turn out to be a wild goose chase.
send/take somebody on a wild goose chase
▪ He lied and took us on a wild goose chase to North Yorkshire.