What does "look up to someone" mean?

To admire and respect someone, usually because of their achievements, character, or experience. It often implies that the person is a role model, someone whose example you want to follow in your own life.

"She looks up to her older sister."
"He's always looked up to his mentor."
"The team really looks up to the new manager."
"Millions of young players look up to that footballer."
"I've looked up to my grandmother ever since I was a child."

Notice that the phrase is often used with words like "always" or "ever since," because admiration of this kind tends to build over time rather than appearing in a single moment.

Looking up suggests the person is elevated, you're looking at them from below, not as an equal. This implies genuine admiration rather than just liking someone. A helpful memory trick is to picture a small child gazing up at a tall adult. The child physically looks up, and emotionally holds that adult in high regard. Once you connect the picture with the feeling, the meaning is easy to recall.

Don't drop the word "to." Learners often say "I look up my teacher," but that means something completely different. "Look up" on its own means to search for information, as in "I looked up the word in the dictionary." To express admiration, you always need "look up to someone." Also remember that the object comes after "to," so it is "look up to her," never "look her up to."

To feel superior to someone, to condescend. "He looks down on people who didn't go to university." Where "look up to" is warm and respectful, "look down on" is cold and judgmental. The physical metaphor works here too, you are imagining yourself as higher and the other person as beneath you.

They're nearly synonyms. "Look up to" is slightly warmer and implies ongoing admiration, often of a role model. "Admire" is more formal and can be about a single quality. For example, you might say "I admire her patience," focusing on one trait, but "I look up to her" suggests a broader, deeper respect for the whole person. In a job interview or formal essay, "admire" often sounds more polished, while "look up to" feels natural in everyday conversation.

This noun pairs perfectly with the phrasal verb. If you look up to someone, that person is your role model. "My teacher was a real role model for me, and I still look up to her today." Learning both together gives you a natural way to talk about the people who inspire you.

Neutral. Works in all contexts. In casual settings you might say "I've always looked up to my big brother," while at work you could say "The junior staff really look up to our lead engineer." The tone shifts slightly with the context, but the phrase itself is appropriate everywhere, from friendly chats to professional meetings.

British and American speakers use "look up to someone" in exactly the same way, so you don't need to adjust it depending on where you are. This makes it a safe and reliable phrase to add to your vocabulary no matter which variety of English you are learning.