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Look up to

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Look up to means to admire, respect, or regard highly; poetically, it explores mentorship, hero worship, or aspirational relationships, highlighting influence, reverence, and the dynamics of role models.

Detailed Definition
Look up to means to admire, respect, or regard someone as a model of conduct, achievement, wisdom, or authority. In poetry, the idiom’s vertical image suggests hierarchy, aspiration, and moral elevation. It can describe a child’s view of a parent, a student’s reverence for a poet, or a community’s devotion to a leader. A poet may use it sincerely, nostalgically, or critically when admiration becomes illusion. The phrase is useful for exploring influence, imitation, hero worship, and disillusionment.
Example
Example in poetry:
A childhood poem might say the boy looked up to his grandfather, who knew the names of every star; In a literary poem, a young singer looks up to the masters while seeking her own voice; The phrase means to admire or respect someone; A poet can use it for mentorship, reverence, or aspiration.
Additional Notes
Look up to means admire, respect, or regard someone as superior in character, skill, or status. The vertical metaphor is central: admiration is imagined as upward vision. In poetry, it can express childhood reverence, discipleship, hero-worship, love, or social hierarchy. Students should ask whether looking up empowers, inspires, or diminishes the self. It pairs well with mountains, stars, parents, teachers, statues, and raised faces.
Also Known As
admire
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