Words Instead of “look”
Eyes are the most expressive instrument in fiction. The verb you use for looking tells the reader what the character is feeling and what they want.
Writing tip
Intensity matters: "glanced" is brief; "studied" is prolonged; "scrutinised" is analytical; "stared" can be aggressive or entranced.
12 Alternatives to “look”
looked steadily and intently, often in admiration or thought
took a brief, quick look
looked closely or with difficulty
looked fixedly for a long time
examined or inspected closely and critically
looked at carefully and comprehensively
watched carefully and attentively
looked at closely over time; gave careful thought to
saw or observed (a typically impressive thing)
looked at in a particular way
looked with partially closed eyes, due to light or difficulty seeing
stared at in an obvious way
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