Are you searching for a more descriptive word than look in writing? You have come to the right post.

The word look in writing has many uses. Because people use “look” in many ways, they easily overuse it.

1. What are different ways to show a character’s facial expression without using look in writing?

Try these instead.

Ugly look                              Flinty gaze

Savage look                          Fried her with his eyes

Passionate look                  Cast a slow sensuous glance

Surprised look                     Wide eyed expression

2. Look in writing can express your character’s reaction

Try these phrases instead

Looked away                       eyes darted away

Looked intently                   examined

Looked carefully                 focused on

Looked around                   eyes rummaged around

3. What are some phrases I can use when a character wants someone else to look at something?

Try these phrases instead.

Look                                 let me draw your attention to

Look                                 sneak a peek at

Look                                 give it a once over

Look                                 feast your eyes on

Look                                 watch closely

4. Look in writing can show your character’s emotional reaction.

You can use your character’s eye movement to help your reader recognize your character’s emotional reaction.

Looked embarrassed                           Eyes fell to floor

Looked away                                         Cast a sideways glance

Looked around agitated                     Peered this way and that

Looked angry                                        Refused to make eye contact

If you are using the word look to show your character seeing something. Try eliminating the word look by simply describing the object or person they are seeing.

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LOOK single words    (100)

Admire	analyze	assess	appraise	audit
Ascertain	browse	bore	Behold	canvass
Discern	distinguish	Eye	examine	eyeball
evaluate	explore	eyewitness	ferret	flirt
focus	Gaze	gander	Glare	glimpse
Gape	Gawk	Glower	Glance	hunt
lookout	measure	monitor	Notice	Ogle
Inspect	Investigate	Identify	Look	Leer
Observe	Out stare	onlooker	observer	peek
peg	penetrate	perceive	pin	pry
peruse	peep	plumb	probe	rake
Peer	read	regard	rivet	Review
reconnoiter	research	riffle	rubberneck	recognize
scan	scout	seek	see	Search
Scrutinize	Sift	skim	study	Scan
Survey	Stare	seek	Spot	Spied
Squint	Stalk	Surveil	Sweep	pierce
spectator	skim	track	view	Vision
viewer	watch	weigh	wink	winnow
witness	watcher	zero in	follow	compare

                   

Alternative Short Phrases for Look (87)

Give a once over	eyes probed	Laid eyes on
pay attention	feast one’s eyes	soaked it all in
Eyes cut to…	Gaze locked on	cast a glance
Took notice	Eyes poured over	tossed a glance
Gaze raked the area (room)	Eyes rummaged around	they locked eyes
Eyes absorbing	Eyes searched	Shooting (shot) a glance
Eyes swung to	scoped out	Gaze darted
looked away	gaze ranged over ….	Stared or looked down
Stared idly	Gaze wandered	Eagle eyed
cast a glance	Eyes swung to…	flicked a glance
Cast a sideways glance	pulled her gaze away	peering this way and that
glanced away	picked out	Carefully looked it over
took it all in	Checked out	hunt for
Looked into	pinned them with a stare	Riffled through the room with eyes
Studied the scene carefully	Threw a look	Eyes cut to
peeped in the window	Eyes dug into	Admiring gaze
Catch a glimpse	Draw attention to	Flashed a glance
Focused on	Fixed eyes on	Catch site of
Get a load of	Leaf through with eyes	Make eyes with
Moon over	Pore over	Size up
Swept with eyes	Take a gander	Take stock of
Point out	Fixed him with a stare	Gaze shifted
Check this out	Refused eye contact	Tilted gaze toward
Gaze drifted toward	Attention drawn to	Sneaked a peek
Gave a once over	Clapped eyes on	Have a squint
Have a look see	Window shopping	Feast your eyes on
Take a gander	Snatch a glimpse	Take a peek
Snap head in direction	Take note of	Fix your eyes on
Cast a brief look	Watch closely	Rivet your eyes

    

 Emotional Looks in Writing (116)

Looked at her warily     looked dreamily       Incredulous look      Savage look    looked stunned

Exasperated look        Contemptuous look        looked at her sharply       

   a look like flint          

look of satisfaction       strange look          Quizzical look      

  passionate look    Look of scornful disbelief          

Earnest look    Stared in disbelief           Looking from one to another      

  looked doubtful

Boldly glared   coolly observed      wide eyed expression     

 shrewdly scrutinized       looked reflective

Look of admiration    startled look    paid no attention    ugly look    

  steely gaze      cool glance

Looking from one to the other    met his gaze    looked angry  

  look of apology       staring intently       

looked at him inquiringly        cool glance         flicked him a sideways glance        a malicious glance      

stared blindly out the window    lecherous gaze    met his gaze directly    

    cast a slow, sensuous glance      

fried her with a searing look       looked mean and mad         tired eyes       

  looked down sheepishly

Cast a know-it-all gaze       gloomy look        glanced over his shoulder    

  looked impatient   

Gazed fondly   looking at me coyly    looked with increasing admiration,     

    looked faintly apologetic      

wide-eyed look held panic         met his gaze    looked horrified   

looked thoughtful

looked in mocking skepticism      suspicious look deepened          

Sent her a knowing glance         

   studying her     Looked down at his hands         studied him keenly   

look of tenderness

calculating stare      look of surprise       mildly amused look      

   puzzled look    devastated look

looked at her with worried eyes        a hard, unbending expression     

looked at him sheepishly          

looked around desperately         an icy look         he watched her hungrily      

just stood staring       look of satisfaction    looked sharply        

looked about unhappily

Unruffled look       gave an odd look       Dubious look    pleading look   

   candid look

Expectant look    thoughtful look       stared insolently   

eyes filled with furious accusation

A strange expression   glance of gratitude     eyes darted away     

   Earnest expression    tender eyed

 threw a sour glance      joyful expression   distasteful stare    

  shot a bitter glare       scrutiny grew intense    

glare of a predator      looked both amused and annoyed     

  Gazed into space      stared icily

 faced him squarely, eyes steady       stare in amazement   

sent daggers from eyes    gave dirty look

look askance    stared stupidly     stared earnestly    peeked from hiding   

drooled over through narrowed eyes

Look in writing is such a common word. But there are many ways to say the same thing and add sparkle to your writing. I hope we have given you some ideas.

Happy Writing,

John & Patty

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For more ideas, see: https://worddreams.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/65-ways-to-describe-sight-and-eyes-in-your-writing/