I looked him

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I looked him" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly as it lacks a preposition or an object to complete the thought. Example: "I looked him in the eye when I spoke to him."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

Before class, I looked him up and learned he was in the Whitney Biennial.

The New Yorker

I looked him over and asked the basic questions about what had happened, but gleaned no hope that there was anything I could do to help.

Huffington Post

"I looked him up.

The New Yorker

I looked him straight in the eye.

The Guardian

I looked him in the eye and smiled back.

The New York Times

I looked him in the eye and said, "No".

The New York Times

I looked him in the eye.

The New York Times

Before listening, I looked him up.

The New Yorker

I looked him in the eye and said, 'You have stolen my dream.

The New Yorker

So I looked him up on the Internet and asked him to write something for me".

The New York Times - Arts

I looked him up, and here I discovered this guy who is a terrifically successful small-business man.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use a preposition after "looked" when referring to directing your gaze toward someone. Common prepositions include "at", "over", or "in the eye".

Common error

Avoid omitting the preposition after "looked" when referring to a person. Saying "I looked him" is incomplete. Instead, use "I looked at him", "I looked him in the eye", etc.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I looked him" functions as an incomplete clause, typically requiring a preposition to form a grammatically correct sentence. Without a preposition, the phrase sounds awkward and does not clearly convey the intended meaning. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is not correct in standard written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "I looked him" is commonly found, it is grammatically incomplete and requires a preposition such as "at", "up", or "in the eye" to form a correct sentence. According to Ludwig, the phrase lacks a preposition or an object to complete the thought. The contexts in which it appears are primarily news and media, indicating a neutral to informal register. For formal writing, it's advisable to use more precise and grammatically complete alternatives such as "I looked at him" or "I looked him up."

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I looked at him

Adds the preposition 'at', making the phrase grammatically correct and indicating the direction of the look.

I glanced at him

Replaces 'looked' with 'glanced', suggesting a quick look.

I stared at him

Replaces 'looked' with 'stared', indicating a prolonged and intense gaze.

I examined him

Replaces 'looked' with 'examined', suggesting a careful and detailed inspection.

I checked him out

Uses the idiom 'checked him out', implying an assessment or evaluation of someone.

I observed him

Replaces 'looked' with 'observed', which suggests a careful watch of someone's behavior.

I gazed upon him

Replaces 'looked' with 'gazed upon', implying a loving or admiring look.

I watched him

Replaces 'looked' with 'watched', which suggests a continuous look to monitor someone's actions.

I scrutinized him

Replaces 'looked' with 'scrutinized', indicating a very careful and critical examination.

I surveyed him

Replaces 'looked' with 'surveyed', suggesting a comprehensive look to assess the overall impression.

FAQs

What prepositions can follow "I looked him"?

The phrase "I looked him" requires a preposition to be grammatically correct. Common prepositions include “at”, as in "I looked at him", or “in”, as in "I looked him in the eye”.

What is a more formal alternative to "I looked at him"?

Depending on the context, more formal alternatives to "I looked at him" could be "I observed him" or "I scrutinized him".

Is it ever correct to say "I looked him" without a preposition?

In standard written English, "I looked him" is generally considered incorrect without a preposition. It's usually necessary to add a preposition like "at", "over", or "up" to complete the meaning.

What does it mean to say "I looked him up"?

The phrase "I looked him up" means that you searched for information about him, typically online or in a reference book. It implies researching his background or finding out more about him.