look away

USAGE SUMMARY

"look away" is a perfectly valid sentence in written English.
You could use it to describe the action of a person averting their gaze from something or someone they do not want to look at. For example, "The child was embarrassed and quickly looked away."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Then look away now.

Independent

OPTIMISTS, look away now.

The Economist

I couldn't look away.

The New Yorker

So we look away.

Independent

But also don't look away.

The New Yorker

Look away from the lights.

The Guardian - Sport

ITV bosses look away now.

Independent

(It's frightening. You look away).

The New Yorker

You tried to look away.

The New York Times

I look away.

The Guardian

Minimalists, look away.

The Guardian - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "look away" when you want to tell someone to avert their gaze, either because something is unpleasant, dangerous, or private. For instance, "If you're squeamish, you might want to look away during this scene."

Common error

Avoid using "look away" when you mean to say someone failed to notice something important. "Look away" implies an intentional act of averting one's gaze, not a simple oversight. Use "overlook" or "miss" instead if it was unintentional.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "look away" is as a phrasal verb. It typically functions as an imperative, advising or instructing someone to avert their gaze. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a standard grammatical construction and usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

13%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Science

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "look away" functions as a phrasal verb, commonly used to instruct someone to avert their gaze, often due to something unpleasant or private. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound and frequently appears in various contexts, primarily within News & Media sources. While it carries a neutral register, it's essential to understand its connotation and avoid confusing it with unintentional oversights. Alternatives like "avert your eyes" or "turn away" can provide nuanced variations, depending on the specific scenario. Remember to consider the context to ensure accurate and impactful communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

avert your eyes

Focuses specifically on the action of turning one's eyes away.

turn away

Implies a complete change of direction, either physically or metaphorically.

look aside

A more literal direction to shift one's gaze to the side.

shift your gaze

Highlights the act of changing the direction of one's sight.

avoid looking

Emphasizes the intentional act of preventing oneself from seeing something.

disregard

Implies ignoring something entirely, not just visually.

ignore

Similar to disregard, but can also mean to deliberately not acknowledge something.

overlook

Suggests failing to notice something, often unintentionally.

pay no attention

A more emphatic way of saying to ignore something.

close your eyes to

A metaphorical way of saying to ignore or pretend not to see something, often something unpleasant.

FAQs

How can I use "look away" in a sentence?

You can use "look away" to instruct someone to avert their eyes from something unpleasant or private, like in the sentence, "If you're sensitive to gore, you might want to look away during this part of the movie."

What does it mean to "look away"?

"Look away" means to turn your eyes away from something, usually because it's unpleasant, shocking, or private. It's an intentional act of averting your gaze.

What can I say instead of "look away"?

You can use alternatives such as "avert your eyes", "turn away", or "avoid looking" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "look away"?

It's appropriate to use "look away" when something is disturbing, shocking, or private, and you want to suggest or instruct someone to avert their gaze. For example, "That scene is quite graphic; you might want to look away."