Look and find are two different English words, and their meaning is different. Sometimes people use these words in the wrong way in their statements and make it sound like both words are synonyms, but they are not.
Look and Find are different parts of speech.
Key Takeaways
- Look means to direct oneโs gaze in a particular direction or a specific object or person.
- Find means to discover or locate something that was previously hidden or unknown.
- Look refers to the act of searching with the eyes while finding refers to the act of discovering something.
Look vs Find
Look as a verb is to glance at something or someone or regard something in a specific way, but as a noun, it is the appearance of someone or something. Find as a noun is the discovery of something, while as a verb is to perceive something unexpectedly or by chance. It can be to identify a thing as being present.

The word โlookโ can be used in several ways, and most often, the context will determine its meaning. Itโs not just about what you wear but how you present yourself through your clothes.
Itโs about creating an image for yourself through clothing and accessories so people see your true self when they look at you. Itโs also about how you take it.
Find means to come across something or someone, by accident or while looking for something else. Find may be used independently to describe something happening unexpectedly.
It is much more commonly used as an auxiliary verb to indicate when action was discovered by chance.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Look | Find |
---|---|---|
Relation | No | The result of looking is to find. |
Expression | Search is over | Beginning of the search |
Parts of speech | Verb | Noun |
Shows | Process | Result |
Phrasal verbs | Yes | No |
Discover | No | Yes |
What is Look?
โLookโ means โto glance at something,โ but many people get confused when it comes to this word. Some of the most common examples include: How do you feel about these sentences? What is the correct use of โlookโ in each case?
The word look has two meanings.
For example, what does it mean in this sentence: โShe looks like my identical twin!โ and in this one: โIf we look closely, we can see a mole on his face.โ? Should we say that she looks like my identical twin or that she looks as if?
Look is a word that has many meanings. It can be used as a noun, verb, or adjective. It refers to an action or an expression of the eyes. The word is also used to describe how someone looks (describe their appearance).
The meaning of โlookโ could be different in every sentence if you think about it carefully. Take this sentence, for example: โHe took one look at his horrible haircut and decided he needed a new barber.โ
In this case, the person looked at something (his hair) and made a decision based on what he saw.
Example
Verb: He looks calm in the photo, but he is nervous.
Noun: I donโt like her look! Something is wrong!

What is Find?
The meaning of find is an important part of our lives. A new study from Australia shows that those who feel they have found their lifeโs purpose have lower stress levels and are happier than those who do not.
People with a sense of purpose live longer than those without one.
They also have lower rates of heart disease and depression. It seems as if a sense of purpose can give you more years to live your life. Finding meaning in life is one of the most difficult and important tasks we can set out to do.
Itโs also one of the most common reasons why we fail at achieving our goals or even living a happy life.
We feel like we need to find meaning in everything, such as how much money we make, what kind of car we drive, who our significant other is, what social groups we belong to, and so on. Those things donโt matter, though.
They might bring us some pleasure or joy for a while, but they certainly wonโt give us lasting happiness.
Weโre bombarded with distractions and noise every day, which makes it difficult to find meaning in the things we do. Itโs a problem that goes beyond businesses and reaching customers, though.

Main Differences Between Look and Find
- The result of looking is to find.
- Look gives the expression that the search is over but Find refers to the beginning of the search and continuation.
- The look is a verb but Find is a noun.
- Look shows the process but Find shows the result.
- The look can be used as a phrasal verb, but Find is never used as a phrasal verb.
- The look does not mean to discover but Find means to discover.


Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.