What's "look up" mean here? Does it have other meanings too?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Here, the common phrase used is "looking up". If something is "looking up," it means that a situation is improving or that there is hope. Often said as "things are looking up." "Look up" does have another meaning! You can use it to say that you searched for information in a book or database. Ex: I'll look that up online later. Ex: I looked it up in the library, but I couldn't find it. Ex: Things seem to be looking up for my health. Ex: You see, things are looking up now.

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

08/29

1
What's the "hot wing?"
A "hot wing" is a kind of "chicken wing" or a piece of chicken that is covered in spicy sauce. Ex: Would you like a hot wing? It's not too spicy. Ex: I absolutely love eating hot wings. Ex: There's a YouTube show where people eat hot wings and answer questions.

2
What does "ultimate" mean? Could you give me some examples?
The word "ultimate" has a few different meanings! It can mean "the end of a process", or "final goal". It can also mean "ideal" or "the best". You can use it for emphasis, or when talking about something grand or unimaginable. Ex: The ultimate goal of the boy band is to be famous. But it might take them a few years. => End goal. Ex: They quickly became the ultimate boy band. => The best, better than the others. Ex: Jumping from a plane would be the ultimate experience to add to my vacation. => The best experience.

3
Can I use "such" instead of "this" here?
We use "this" to explain what we are talking about. In this case refering to the level of excitement. Such is a determiner and, which it does have the meaning of "to this degree", it is important to remember that we use "such" + [noun phrase]. We cannot use such, before adjectives (excited). If you wanted to change it would have to be to the determiner "so" before the adjective. Ex: Oh boy, I don't know if I've ever been so excited. Ex: Thank you. You’re so kind.

4
Like "geography" or "photography", what does suffix "-graphy" mean?
The suffix "-graphy" means to record. Geography is the science of places—geographers record where the land is, what consists of that land, etc. Photography is about recording moments. There are many words in English with the suffix "-graphy" in them. Ex: She enjoys learning new choreography (dancing). Ex: An autobiography is when a person writes and recounts periods of their lives.

5
Could I use the word "intoxicate" for something consumable? Like alcohol, perhaps?
Yes, you could! It's very often used in relation to consuming alcohol and drugs as those are the two things that commonly cause "intoxication"- to lose one's control of their behavior or senses. Ex: I was so intoxicated from drinking last night that I threw up. Ex: They might do a drug test to see if you were intoxicated.

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