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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Look After: Meaning, Examples, and How to Use It (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：take care of someone (look after)

look after 🔊

/lʊk ˈæftər/

phr.v.

To take care of someone, making sure they are safe and healthy.

Look after someone: person reading to child in caring home scene

take care of someone 🔊

➕

/teɪk kɛr əv ˈsʌmˌwʌn/

phr.v.

To be responsible for someone's safety, health, and well-being, often by providing physical or emotional support.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Look' (to see) + 'after' (following) → to attend to or care for.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine looking after a child: you keep an eye on them after they move, ensuring their safety.

📖 Example

My aunt will look after our dog while we are on vacation next week. 🔊 My aunt will take care of our dog while we are on vacation next week.

🔗 Collocations

look after children – To take care of and supervise children.

look after the elderly – To provide care and support for older people.

look after oneself – To take care of one's own needs and health.

🔄 Synonyms

care for (v.) – To provide needed assistance or watch over someone.

tend to (v.) – To attend to someone's needs or problems.

nurse (v.) – To care for someone who is ill or injured.

🚫 Antonyms

neglect (v.) – To fail to care for someone properly.

abandon (v.) – To leave someone without intending to return or care for them.

ignore (v.) – To pay no attention to someone's needs.

🌱 Derivatives

looking after (n.) – The act of taking care of someone.

looked-after (adj.) – Well cared for; receiving proper attention.

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Old English, 'look after' originally meant 'to seek.' By the 1500s, it evolved to mean 'to take care of,' reflecting a shift from searching to nurturing.

Meaning 2：take care of something (look after)

look after 🔊

/lʊk ˈæftər/

phr.v.

To be responsible for something and keep it in good condition.

Look after something: person watering potted plants on balcony

take care of something 🔊

➕

/teɪk kɛr əv ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

phr.v.

To be responsible for the maintenance, safety, or proper condition of an object, task, or area, ensuring it remains in good state.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Could you look after my luggage for a moment? I need to use the restroom. 🔊 Could you take care of my luggage for a moment? I need to use the restroom.

🔗 Collocations

look after your belongings – To take responsibility for the safety of your personal items.

look after the house – To keep the house clean, secure, and in good repair.

look after the garden – To water, weed, and maintain the garden plants.

🔄 Synonyms

watch over (v.) – To protect or supervise something carefully.

mind (v.) – To attend to something temporarily; to be careful with.

guard (v.) – To protect something from harm or theft.

🚫 Antonyms

neglect (v.) – To fail to care for or attend to something.

forsake (v.) – To abandon or give up something.

abandon (v.) – To leave something without intending to return or maintain it.

🌱 Derivatives

looking after (n.) – The act of taking care of something.

looked-after (adj.) – Well maintained; in good condition.