With interest/distrust
Eye: to look at sb/sth carefully, especially because you want sth
To suddenly see something
Notice: to see or hear sb/sth; to become aware of sb/sth
Sight: (formal) to suddenly see sth, especially sth you have
been looking for
Spot: to see or notice a person or thing, especially
suddenly or when it is not easy to do so
With sexual interest
Eye sb up: (informal) to look at sb in a way that shows you have a
special interest in them, especially a sexual interest
Leer (at): too look or smile at sb in an unpleasant way that shows
an evil or sexual interest in them
Make eyes at/give sb the eye: to get the other person’s attention
Ogle: to look hard at sb in an offensive way, usually showing sexual
interest
Have bedroom eyes: A way of looking at sb that shows that you are
sexually attracted to them
To stop looking at something
Avert one’s eyes: to turn your eyes away from sth that you do not
want to see
Look away: to look towards a different place or in a different
direction.
or you are suspicious of sth
Look sb up and down: to look at sb very carefully
Look askance (at): to look at sb/sth with suspicion or doubt, or in
a critical way
Quickly
Glance (at/up/down, etc/sideways*): to look quickly at sth/sb
Glimpse: to see sb/sth for a moment, but not very clearly
Skim (through/over) / Scan (sth/sth for): to read sth quickly in order
to find a particular point or the main points
*Glance sideways: to glance at what is at your side
Angrily
Frown (at/on/upon): to make a serious, angry or worried expression by
bringing your eyebrows closer together so that lines appear on your
forehead.
Give sb a dirty look/black look: to look at sb in a way that shows you are
annoyed with them
Glare (at/into/round/across): to look at sb/sth in an angry way
If looks could kill: used to describe the very angry or unpleasant way sb
is/was looking at you
Look daggers at: to look at sb in a very angry way
Scowl (at): to look at sb/sth in an angry or annoyed way
With difficulty
Peer (through/into/out of): to look closely or carefully at sth,
especially when you cannot see it clearly
Squint (through/over,etc): to look at sth with your eyes partly shut in
order to keep out bright light or to see better
For a long time
Contemplate: to look at sb/sth in a careful way for a long time
Gape (at): to stare at sb/sth with your mouth open because you are shocked or
surprised
Gaze (at/into/etc.): to look steadily at sb/sth for a long time, either because you
are very interested or surprised, or because you are thinking of sth else
Gawp/gawk: to stare at sb/sth in a rude or stupid way
Goggle: to look at sb/sth with your eyes wide open, especially because you are
surprised or shocked
Stare (at/through/into): to look at sb/sth for a long time
Carefully/Searchingly
Check (that/whether/how/who/for/against/with): to examine sth to see if it is
correct, safe or acceptable
Engross: sth/sb that is so interesting that you give it all your attention and time
Examine (how/whether/what, etc./sth for sth): to look at sb/sth closely, to see if
there’s anything wrong or or to find the cause of a problem
Go through: search
Inspect: to look closely at sb/sth, especially to ckeck that everything is as it should be
Look over sth: inspect; examine
Look sth over: inspect one by one or part by part
Observe (that/sb doing sth/how/what/where): (formal) to see or notice sb/sth
Pore (over): study with close attention
Scan: to look at every part of sth carefully, especially because you are looking for a
particular thing or person
Scrutinize: to look at or examine sb/sth carefully
Survey: to look carefully at the whole of sth, especially in order to get a general
impression of it
View: (formal) to look at sth, especially when you look carefully
Watch: look at sth moving paying attention; keep the eyes on sth to see every
movement, every action, etc.
Other ways of looking
Look around: to visit a place or building, walking around it to
see what is there
Sightsee: (only used in the progressive tenses) referred to the
activity of visiting interesting buildings and places as tourist
Denoting affection
Make goo-goo eyes at sb/go all googoo eyed over sb: to be
infatuated with someone, presumably because one’s eyes
widen and shine brightly whenever the object of one’s
affections is seen or mentioned
Without purpose
Browse (through/around): to look at a lot of things in a
shop/store rather that looking for one particular thing
To be just looking: used in a shop/store to say that you are
not ready to buy sth
Secretly
Peek (at/through/into): to look at sth quickly and secretly
because you should not be looking at it
Peep (into/through/out, etc/through/from/out of): look quickly
and secretly at sth, especially through a small opening
Opening and closing one’s eyes
Blink: to shut and open your eyes quickly
Wink (at): to close and open one eye quickly to
communicate sth or to show that sth is a secret or a joke
What do they have in common? The three verbs perceive sth by means of the eyes

Why are they different?

 See stresses the reception of visual impressions (use of the organs of vision). See is a verb of perception.
Examples: “I can’t see anything”; “If you shut your eyes you can’t see”
 Look stresses the directing of the eyes to sth or the fixing of the eyes on sth in order to see it. Watch is a
verb of attention. Examples: “He refused to look in the mirror I gave him”; “Look at this”
 Watch implies the following of sth with one’s eyes, so as to observe every moment, every change, etc.
Examples: “Watch for a while and tell us what you see”; “The cat is watching the mouse”