Phrase guide

look after

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To follow with the eyes; to look in the direction of (someone or something departing).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To seek out, to look for.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: regional, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To care for; to keep safe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, reflexive, transitive

Examples

  • He asked me to look after his daughter while he was away.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take care of

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To have as one's business; to manage, be responsible for.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: keep

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To expect, look forward to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

keep under careful scrutiny

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Keep an eye on this prisoner!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: watch, look out, watch out

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

101 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: pririgardi — to follow with the eyes
  • Hungarian: utánanéz — to follow with the eyes
  • Hungarian: tekintetével követ — to follow with the eyes
  • Polish: podążać wzrokiem — to follow with the eyes
  • Vietnamese: theo dõi — to follow with the eyes
  • Vietnamese: dõi theo — to follow with the eyes
  • Arabic: اِهْتَمَّ (ihtamma) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Arabic: اِعْتَنَى (iʕtanā) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Bulgarian: грижа се (griža se) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Catalan: curar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 關照 /关照 (guānzhào) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 照顧 /照顾 (zhàogu) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 照管 (zhàoguǎn) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ngazidja Comorian: hwangalia — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ngazidja Comorian: ushishia — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Cornish: truedha — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Czech: pohlídat — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Danish: passe — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Dutch: verzorgen — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Dutch: behartigen — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Dutch: naar omkijken — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Esperanto: flegi — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Finnish: huolehtia — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Finnish: vahtia — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • French: s'occuper de — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • French: garder — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • French: veiller sur — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • French: soigner — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Galician: coidar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Galician: mirar por — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • German: sich kümmern um — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • German: pflegen — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • German: pflääge — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ancient Greek: κομίζω (komízō) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ancient Greek: τημελέω (tēmeléō) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hindi: ध्यान रखना (dhyān rakhnā) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hindi: पालना (pālnā) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hindi: पालनपोषण करना (pālanpoṣaṇ karnā) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hungarian: gondoskodik — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hungarian: gondoz — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hungarian: vigyáz — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hungarian: ellát — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hungarian: felügyel — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Hungarian: törődik — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Irish: bí i bhfeighil — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Italian: prendersi cura — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Italian: stare dietro — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Italian: curare — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Japanese: 世話をする (sewa o suru) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Japanese: 面倒を見る (mendō o miru) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Kapampangan: antabayanan — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Kapampangan: antabaianan — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Central Kurdish: چاو لێبوون (çaw lêbûn) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Central Kurdish: ئاگالێبوون (agalêbûn) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Lao: ເບິ່ງແຍງ (bœng nyǣng) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Latin: cūrō — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Marathi: काळजी घेणे (kāḷjī gheṇe) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Marathi: लक्ष्य ठेवणे (lakṣya ṭhevṇe) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Neapolitan: abbadà — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Polish: opiekować się — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Polish: dbać — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Portuguese: cuidar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Romansh: pertgirar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Romansh: partgirar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Romansh: perchürer — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: забо́титься (zabótitʹsja) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: уха́живать (uxáživatʹ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: пригля́дывать (prigljádyvatʹ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: пригляде́ть (prigljadétʹ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: присма́тривать (prismátrivatʹ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: присмотре́ть (prismotrétʹ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Russian: следи́ть (sledítʹ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Scottish Gaelic: coimhead ri — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Scottish Gaelic: coimhead an dèidh — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Scottish Gaelic: coimhead às dèidh — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Scottish Gaelic: gabh aig — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Scottish Gaelic: gabh cùram — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Scottish Gaelic: glèidh — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Shan: လုမ်းလႃး (lúm láa) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Spanish: cuidar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Spanish: velar por — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Spanish: custodiar — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Swedish: passa — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Swedish: ta hand om — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Tai Dam: ꪩꪾ꪿ꪒꪴ — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Tai Dam: ꪵꪔ꫁ꪉ — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Tai Dam: ꪒꪴ — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Thai: ดูแล (duu-lɛɛ) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Thai: เลี้ยงดู (líiang-duu) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Northern Thai: ᨹᩬᩴ᩵ᨣᩬ᩠ᨿ — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Tocharian B: yärp- — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Turkish: göz kulak olmak — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Turkish: bakmak — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ottoman Turkish: تیمار ایتمك (timar etmek) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ottoman Turkish: تیمارلمق (timarlamak) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ukrainian: турбува́тися (turbuvátysja) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ukrainian: догляда́ти (dohljadáty) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ukrainian: дба́ти (dbáty) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Ukrainian: піклува́тися (pikluvátysja) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Uyghur: ئاسرىماق (asrimaq) — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect
  • Welsh: edrych ar ôl — to care for, keep safe, watch, protect