1.
to be careful (a warning about danger)
“Look out! There's a car!”
“Look out below!”
Synonyms: Watch out!, Be careful!
Phrasal verb
What does look out mean?
Meaning: to be careful; to watch for danger
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Look out! = be careful! (a warning about danger, right now). Look out for + something = to watch carefully for it. It is stronger than be careful. It has no object (except with for).
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to watch carefully for something (look out for)
common“Look out for snakes!”
“Look out for your little brother.”
Synonyms: to watch out for, to keep an eye on
Word order
Inseparable
The object goes after the particle, never between the verb and the particle.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- look out
- Past Simple:
- looked out
- Past participle:
- looked out
- -ing form:
- looking out
Common mistakes to avoid
Look out! = be careful!
Alone, as an order: Look out! = be careful! It is a quick warning. Other ways to say it: Watch out!, Be careful!, Heads up! Don't say Look at! ❌: look at needs an object.
Look out FOR + what you watch
With an object, you need for: Look out FOR the bus ✓ / Look out the bus ❌. Without for, it is only a warning shout.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: look out
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What does look out mean?+
Look out! is a warning: be careful! With for, it means to watch carefully for something. Look out! There's ice on the road = be careful, the road is icy.
What is the difference between look out and watch out?+
As a warning, they mean the same. Watch out! is very common in American English. Look out! is a little more British. Both warn about a danger that is happening now.
Is look out separable?+
No, it is not separable. To add an object, use for + the thing: look out for cars. For meaning 1 (the warning Look out!), there is no object.
What does look out for mean?+
It means to watch carefully for something, often a danger. Look out FOR scams = be careful about tricks to steal your money. You can also say Watch out for scams. This is meaning 2.
What is a lookout?+
A lookout is a place where you can watch an area, or a person who watches for danger. The noun is always one word. He stood lookout = he watched for danger. It is different from the phrasal verb.
Related phrasal verbs
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/look-out
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.